Michael L. Bilof Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS, FASMBS

Yesterday was my first consultation with Dr.Bilof. I found out about him through my insurance web site but I chose him because of the testimonials I read on obesityhelp. Let me just say him and his staff far exceeded my expectations. I've never had good doctor experiences I'm sure most of you can relate but from the moment I met Lakeisha, Joan, Dr.Bilof, and Dominga I felt like I was talking to old friends. I went there very nervous and scared and left feeling excited. I have all my scripts and am making my numerous doctors appointments. I know this is the best decision I will ever make and the beginning of my new life. Thank you all for your advice. Good Luck to everyone.

I owe my life to Dr. Bilof. He is the best of the best. For those who know me, I do my homework for every endeavor that I take on, including my health. I can honestly tell you that you will not find a better qualified doctor and support staff. I don't normally ring bells or blow horns for people, but I am so happy for what Dr. Bilof, Dominga, and Staff have done for me. Proof is in the pudding...so to speak. After only six months post surgery, my blood work came back EXCELLENT!!!! Triglicerides were 289 NOW 97! Cholesterol was 207 NOW 124! My sleep apnea is gone....I don't even snore anymore. My knees are in much better shape. 102 lbs. less weight to carry. I was 275 lbs when I first went to Dr. Bilof for my initial consultation and 6 1/2 months after my surgery I'm now at 173 lbs. It has been an unbelievable experience. All my life I struggled with diets. I'd lose 30 pounds and 3 months later I'd gain 35 pounds. I've tried every diet on the market and eventually would go back to the same old routine. I've worked hard with 3 Nutritionists on 3 separate occasions and ended up with the same old results....failure. I now understand why my body responded the way it did in the past. I'm 45 years old and own a very stressful business. Although I didn't eat a lot, my body was always in defense mode. My body was always stressed, so whatever I ate, instead of burning the calories that I would take in, my body would want to store it. The older I got the harder it was to change the way my body would process the food. My life was heading in a downward spiral. Depression was also a constant visitor. I cannot begin to tell you how much your health dictates the quality of your future. I am really surprised that Health Insurance companies would not be more receptive to this life saving surgery. I'm puzzled over their reasoning. Looking better is a fringe benefit of feeling better, not the other way around as the Health Insurance companies see it. I'm sure Doctors are not just performing this surgery for vanity sake....rnrnrnBest Wishes...Vito C.

DR.BILOF IS A TRUE TRANSFORMER MEANING HE'S NOT ONLY A SURGEON BUT THIS MAN REALLY CARE FOR HIS PATIENTS.DR.BILOF SEEMS TO BE A LAID BACK KIND OF DOCTOR BUT THIS MAN KNOWS HIS CRAFT VERY WELL & HE CHANGED THE WLS GAME FOREVER.DR.BILOF STAFF IS EXCELLENT AS WELL,ONCE I CAME ACROSS A COUPLE OF HURDLES,THEY WE'RE JOHNNY ON THE SPOT WITH RESULTS,ANSWERS,ETC...DR.BILOF NEEDS MORE THAN COMPLIMENTS ,HE'S THE BEST IN MY BOOK & I FINALLY HAVE A DOCTOR THAT HAS INTERESTS IN YOUR CONCERNS. I WANNA THANK YOU SO EVER MUCH FOR CHANGING MY LIFE & KEEPING IT REAL WITH ME .

I had a great experience with Dr Bilof and his staff at Garden State Bariatric & Wellness Center . My Surgery for a lap bad went so smoothly. His office manager Dominga was wonderful in helping me get my approval in 6 months from the date I first came in for my initial office visit.Dr Bilof explained everything clearly and completely.rnI highly recommend Garden State Bariatric & Wellness Center

Dear Dr. Bilofrnrnrn I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your professional services that was provided to me. I am forever grateful to you from the moment I was referred to you for Laparascopic Banding Procedure. For many years I have tried numerous diet plans but nothing seemed to work. I used to have trouble sleeping at night. I had so many ailments, such as: High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol and a candidate for Diabetes. I had hard times shopping for dresses for a woman my size, due to the fact that I was so overweight. Since my surgery back in March 28, 2007 I have lost a total of 59 pounds. I have learned to eat healthy and I feel 100% better about my self. The Post – Operative care that I received from you and your staff was beyond greatness. You and your staff always made me feel welcomed. Once again thank you for your generous time and your continuing care.rnrnSincerely yours,rnrnRosemarie Dubourgrn

TODAY IS 9/29/07 AND I'M STILL PRE-OP so I'll give what I know so far and will update after the surgery.rnrnFirst impression: Really liked him. He has a calm unrushed manner that I didn't expect from a surgeon. He spent plenty of time with me and was very personable. I immediately felt safe with him. He discussed all my options, all the major risks and answered all my extensive questions!rnrnOffice staff: Amazing from what I can tell. Seems to be very well staffed, didn't have to wait at all when I had my consultation. I was late due to traffic (I'm NEVER late!) and they were very understanding and kind. I have dealt the most w/ the surgery coordinator, Dominga, who has always been kind, quick to respond and very well informed.rnrnLike least: Not his fault...but he's almost 2 hours from my home w/ traffic!rnrnAftercare: We didn't really discuss it much because I told him I'd probably find an after-care program that I could attend closer to home. I know I've read he has a good program though.rnrnSo far, I'd rate him and his staff a 10...or I wouldn't be planning to use them!rnrnTODAY IS 11/12/07 5 DAYS POST SURGERY:rnSurgery went very smoothly, St. Barnabas has a great staff and is well ran. Of course, it's an older hospital but it feels clean and well equiped so I didn't mind. The nurses were amazing. Dr. Bilof came to see me before I went into the operating room to see if I had any last minute ?'s or anything, which I appreciated. The operating table was surprisingly comfy, they had it all heated up and padded out to support my back. As for my incisions: they are very small...I have 5. One is literally so high that my bra hides it...one is so small (on my right) that I doubt there will be any scar at all, and the other 3 are less than an inch long so I'm sure they'll heal nicely as well. He used a surgical glue to close so I don't have any stiches or steri-strips or anything, there is NO incision pain. I felt better than I expected right from night one. Dr. Bilof visited 2 mornings in the hospital and his PA Joan visited 2 times (I got them both on the last day!) so I felt they were right on-top of how I was recovering. I think Dr. Bilof and his PA Joan are GREAT! I'm so happy I chose them. rnrnI will update again after a couple of post-op appt's.

Dr. Bilof is very kind and understanding. He made sure that I understood the total procedure. Dr.Bilof explained to me the importance of after care. All the risks invovled. His staff members are very helpful and absolutley do follow up. They reach out to you(me) to make sure I'm holding up my end. Emails, phone contact. They are great and the atmosphere in his office is very positive. Dr. Bilof has a very kind bedside manner. He put me right at ease. Surgically, he is probably one of the best in his field.I'm sure other surgeons are good,but as good as Dr. Bilof? He was awarded the center of excellence in his field.so I think that speaks for its self. All responses can't totally be positive so here goes my one negative. It would have been nice to see Dr. bilof more often in the hospital,but he is very busy so you can't expect everything to go perfect. That is the only pet peeve that I had. That's just me I guess, I had a very positive experience at the hospital and Dr. Bilof's surgical staff are very attentive and responsive to your needs.

What can i say about Dr. Bilof only that he is just and amazing doctor...and no im not just sayin this i honestly beleive he is amazing. The first time i met him was with my sister and he was just explaining everything in detail he gave me a better understanding about weight loss surgery and i did believe gastric bypass was better for me and he agreed. I decided to stay with Dr. Bilof because no other doctors can reach to his level. His office staff is amazing expecially Dominga she is wonderful she was always on top of things got my paper work together and then after 3 months meeting dr. Bilof i had the sugery august 22 2007. Dr. Bilof is not about the money Dr. Bilof is more about his patients getting his patients better helping them become more healthy. When my insurance denied the approval of my surgery Dr. Bilof and Dominga didnt agree and Dr. Bilof went to dispute with my insurance. Now tell me what doctor will waste his time to dispute with my insurance for me to get approved Dr. Bilof could just have said oh well next patient but he didnt he fought with my insurance and they approved my surgery. Dr. Bilof did let me know about the risks about having a narrow stricture or hernia or ucler and dumping syndrome. His office staff does express to go to support meetings. I could tell you for sure Dr. Bilof does stress about taking your protein shakes. He was always on my case about drinking protein shakes and having 48 ounces of water everday............ Dr. Bilof is a good surgeon and he has one of the bestside manner. the three days i was in the hospital Dr. Bilof always went to go see me those 3 days. He cares for his patients. If you are really concidering changing your life around Dr. Bilof is the best doctor to help you. The rate of 1-100 Dr. Bilof is 100 in my book. He just knows what he is talking about and he knows his field very well. Dr. Bilof is the kind of doctor that will always be in his patients lives he is not those doctors that dont care about follow ups.......but Dr. Bilof believes in follow ups and he truley cares about his patients.......

Dr Michael Bilof set my mind at ease from the very first moment I met him. I would recommend him to anyone looking for the absolutely best care available. I had never before had a surgery of any kind, nor a hospital stay except for 2 childbirths, and I was quite apprehensive--Heck !! I was scared to death !! He reassured me and I felt totally safe in his care. His staff was fabulous, especially Dominga, who processed all the necessary insurance requirements, and kept me informed as time progressed. Unfortuantely my PCP (primary care physician) was totally old fashioned, ultra conservative and completely non-supportive, and I had to find a new PCP part way thru the process. In the months pre-op I worked very hard and lost nearly 40 lbs on my own. I had OSA (obstructive sleep apnea), Type II diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis in both knees. I knew this procedure would save my life as well as likely get me off many if not all of the 8 prescription meds, including an injection of Byetta twice a day for diabetes that I was taking. Dr Bilof and his affiliated hospital, St Barnabas in Livingston, NJ have a terrific support system in place...a wonderful PA Joan, monthly group meetings and nurses and dietitians you can call anytime with questions, concerns, comments, etc. The risks of the surgery for me were so far outweighed by the ultimate benefit. Post-op I had no nausea, no vomiting, no pain, no infection--I felt so good I wanted to dance !! I should be the poster child for Bypass surgery. Its 2 weeks post op today, and my only regret is that I did not do this sooner.

I called Dr. Bilof's office earlier in the week and to my surprise I was able to get an appointment on the same week. He automatically gets some points on availability. I saw Dr. Bilof, he seemed a stand up guy. I asked him many questions and he didn't try to butter anything up. He told me he recommends the RNY surgery over the Lap-Band because of the success rate. I was sort of sold on the Lap-Band surgery already before seeing him, he just helped me make a realistic decision. He told me I still need to excercise and eat well. He told me about band restricted people eating highly processed foods because of ease of digestion, and usually being couter-productive to weight loss.
He office staff is top shelf, very pleasant and helpful. One of the things that struck me about him is the preparation for surgery. Dr. Bilof ensure's that your body is prepared for the surgery. He is sending me to check for blood clots in my legs beforehand. If he is as thorough in surgery as he his before, then I think all will go well.
His aftercare program is to get you to see a metabolism specialist or nutritionist to help you through the weight loss experience. In combination with visiting his support group.
I will not rate him at this time, since I have not been through the surgery yet. But, so far so good.