Michael W. Blaney Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS, FASMBS

What was my 1st impression of Dr. Blaney?rnWell, he reminds me of my brother, no seriously! He is very warm, caring, and sincere. I was sure I wanted the LAP BAND when I went in to see him. He was very informative and did a great job navigating me, through educating, to consider all options before I made a decision. I realized by the end of our second meeting that I was making the decision for the LAP BAND based on what effect it would have on every aspect of my life except me personally. I was thinking about the trouble it would be for my family, work, friends, etc... everyone but me. Dr. Blaney simply gave me the information I needed and along with that and the fact that I have a tremendous amount of faith in his opinion and ability I have decided to have the Gastric Bypass surgery.rnrnNow, lets talk about my experience with the office staff! The person responsible for scheduling is extremely scary. I believe patients and Dr. should work together to schedule procedures that will satisfy both parties. It was not discussed with me prior to scheduling what might work for me. Instead I was given a date for my surgery, of course, it was totally impossible for me. When I called to inform the scheduler I got attitude. That was the scary part. I recieved a second surgery date, which of course is less than ideal, but I'm going to suck it up. Anyways I figure that if thats the worse of my experience than I'm in good shape. LJrnrnAugust 3, 2007rnrnUpdate, surgery went well even though last week I would not have been so eager to admit that it went well. Actually I thought I would die. Dr Blaney was very attentive and very caring. I am sure I was no different than any other of his patients, but I was not made to feel that way. rnrnI also wanted to give a \"shout out\" to Millie. rnShe is exceptionally happy and fun. She made a couple of difficult situations better by just being her.rnrnEven though I have doubted my decision for the surgery, I have never doubted electing to use Dr. Blaney and his staff .

7/18/07 was my first meeting with Dr. Blaney. The appt was for 4:15 and I didn't get in to see him until after 5:30. He indicated he had been on vacation recently having just gotten married so it made sense that he was running behind. He was very apologetic about the lateness. Ok, had to share that part first because everything else was great.rnrnThe office people were friendly and had things ready to hand me as soon as I got there with my name on it. Dr. Blaney himself is young, cute and very approachable. He went over my medical history from my form first, then just started conversations off of information from my packet. I thought this was a little odd at first, expecting him to rush me out because of the late start time. He didn't though. He seemed genuinely interested. I would say a majority of our time was on non-related conversation. I suspect some of it was to determine my reasonings for wanting surgery and my lifestyle. Either way it was nice to converse.rnrnAt the end of the meeting he went over the basic steps. He indicated based on initial assessment I'd be a good candidate and I am now scheduled for a weekend appt with several other patients.rnrnOverall, I'm very comfortable with him. It also helps that my PCP was in residency with him and gave his approval.

When I first met Dr. Blaney my impression was very sincere and relaxed physician. Before you considered surgery he wants you to know everything there is to know about WLS. He takes one step at a time before and after surgery. He is not one to throw everything to you at once. Dr Blaney has been there to support me physically and emotionally. You won't find another doctor like Dr Blaney. I would recommend him to anyone.

In short, I think that Dr. Blaney is not only a wonderful person, but a wonderful physician as well. From our first meeting, I felt completely at ease and was surprised that he had such an interest in the amount of information that I had gathered before I came to his office. He allowed me to share my knowledge with him, commented on my research and then explained the surgery, it's risks and benefits from beginning to end. Dr. Blaney informed me of support group meetings and encouraged me to attend. His knowledge of WLS and all of the happy patients walking around Augusta are proof positive that his work is fantastic. I have not scheduled my surgery date as of yet; however, I have no doubt that Dr. B's bedside manner will be as great as meeting with him in his office. UPDATE: My surgery went well--Dr. Blaney is as wonderful at the hospital as he is in his office. His laid-back, but informed and in control manner put me at ease. Because of my experience so far, I'd say if you're searching for a doc in this area, I'd recommend him to you any time.

I first met Dr. Blalney in Jan 2007. He came in and spoke to me and explained things in a language I could understand. He encouraged me and my family to meet with him and ask questions. He walked through the approval process with me. I had my surgery 3/29/07 and I have not changed, he is a good and caring physician.

Dr. Blaney made sure I was very informed and he made me feel special and I never feared the surgery since he was taking care of me. He is very honest and he will make sure that you understand the pros and cons of surgery. He has a wonderful preop program and encourages participation in the support group locally. I would highly recommend Dr. Blaney if you are considering wls.

Just met Dr. Blaney a week or so ago. He is a terrific doctor. He is caring and gives you all the details and information you need to make an informed decision. He and I are currently working on getting my insurance to allow me to have lap band surgery. I hope we can get them to accept the medical necessity of having this done. If you live in the CSRA, Dr. Blaney is the doctor I would recommend. I will add more later when I actually get to the point of having the surgery.

My name is Karen Sanders and Dr. Blaney saved my life. I was sinking in a puddle of fatness, and he rescued me. The very first impression that I had of him was that he is pretty easy on the eyes. However, after my first consultation with him, I realized that he is a doctor with a great deal of compassion for his patients. He is genuine and honest with how he believes you will do with the surgery. The more I went back to see him and discuss gastric bypass surgery, the more I came to respect him as a surgeon. My case is a little unusual because several years ago I had surgery to repair a hole in the top of my esophagus. (Nissen Surgery.) Dr. Blaney had to reverse that surgery, repair a large hernia, and then do the gastric bypass. Believe it or not, he was able to do all of this laparoscopic. I am now 1-month post op, 30 pounds lighter, and Dr. Blaney has continued to give 100% of his devotion to me whenever I am in the office, or when I call him. I do not think that my words have really done him justice. He is a fine surgeon, and a compassionate gentleman. I would recommend him to anyone who is considering any type of weight loss surgery.rnrnKaren Sandersrn

Dr. Blaney is the BEST!!! He has WONDERFUL bedside manners. Dr. Blaney just makes you feel at ease. He doesn't make you feel disgusting for your weight. He is truly there to help you and not judge you. I have met a lot of doctors that judge you by the way you look and Dr. Blaney DOES NOT DO THIS! He is the GREATEST! He makes sure you fully understand all the aspects of the surgery before going through with it. Dr. Blaney has models to show you exactly what is going to occur while in the operating room. He is very knowledge about the many different weight loss surgeries that can be performed. He then will discuss what surgery he thinks is right for you. Dr. Blaney wants your whole family involved from the beginning to the end. He always knows you and your family by name when going into the office even after several months between visits. When you go in for a check up he pays extra special attention to you and makes sure to answers all your questions and concerns. If you ever have a question you can just give him a call. It may take a little time for him to respond, but when he does he gives you his full attention. I would recommend Dr. Blaney to anyone who is going to have the surgery. Keep up the excellent work Dr. Blaney!!!!!!

DR.BLANEY IS A VERY SWEET PERSON. HE WAS THERE FOR ME THROUGH IT ALL. EVERY APPOINTMENT I HAD UP TO MY SURGERY DATE,HE WAS THERE. CHECKING ON ME TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WENT OK. I HAVE LOST ALMOST 90 POUNDS IN 7MONTHS, SO I HAVE CHANGED ALOT IN 7 MONTHS. MY DOCTOR STAFF IS VERY HELPFUL. ANYTIME YOU NEED THEM, THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE TO HELP YOU WITH ANY PROBLEMS THAT YOU HAVE. I HAVE NOTHING BAD TO SAY ABOUT DR.BLANEY,HE IS A WONDERFUL DOCTOR AND HE IS THERE WHEN EVER YOU NEED HIM. HE IS VERY SWEET,SMART AND HE LIKES TO MAKE YOU SMILE. AND ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT WEIGHT LOSE SURGERY, HE WILL BE SURE TO ANSWER THEM WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL. HE ALSO HAS A BOOKLET THAT HE GIVE YOU TO GET YOU READY FOR THE SURGERY. HE ALSO HAS TWO BOOKS THAT HE WANTS YOU TO PURCHASE BEFORE YOUR SURGERY, THAT EXPLAINS EVERY THING THAT YOU WILL BE GOING THROUGH BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR SURGERY HAS BEEN DONE. 100% IS WHAT I GIVE DR.BLANEY. BOTH SURGICAL COMPETENCE AND BEDSIDE MANNER ARE BOTH GREAT TOGETHER. THIS LET ME KNOW THAT I AM IN GOOD HANDS. AND THAT I WILL BE TAKING GOOD CARE OF.