Randall Bolar Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

We really liked him. He was very informative, and not in a hurry to have us leave. He answered all questions, drew pictures, and even offered to talk to my best friend who is hostile regarding this decision. All risks were discussed,as well as post-op care, diet, exercise, etc. I would not have anyone but Dr. Bolar

He was very helpful! I appreciated that he took his time to explain everything in great detail.

At first, my impression of his secretaries were not good. I thought they looked down on me & did not go as fast as I thought they should. After time, I realized it was me who was over-reacting. I realized I was trying to do their job & they are very capable of doing it themselves. :) They (Katherine & Amy) are very nice!! :) Thanks girls for being kind to me... even when I wasn't the nicest! :)

I am going to have my surgery in about 5 days. I feel VERY confident in Dr. Bolar!! He has done over 1,100 of these surgeries & he has never had to do a revision surgery or had any major complications -- that's pretty good, if you ask me!! :)

So far, I would rate Dr. Bolar & his staff a 10 (out of 10). Thanks to them, this process has been fairly quick & problem-free. It has only taken a little over 2 months to get here. My first consult visit was March 8th, 2001 & my surgery is May 14th, 2001. Good job guys!! ;) I'll post more when I'm 'on the other side'. :)

June 2, 2001 - I am now 19 days post op & I have to say -- Dr. Bolar & his wife are AWESOME people!! They truly care!! His wife came to see me while I was in the hospital -- very sweet! Also, he gave me his home phone number & email address in case I needed to call or email him. I have never called his house, but I have emailed him & he has always gotten back to me within a day -- very nice! He answers any questions I have in detail... taking his time to make sure I understand. He is a perfectionist. He is VERY good at what he does! I am TRULY blessed to have found him to do my surgery! Thanks Dr. Bolar!! :)

June 17th, 2001 - I had my one month check-up with Dr. Bolar last Tuesday & I still think he is the greatest! He made me feel VERY great about the progress I've made. He's not only an awesome surgeon, but he actually cares. He encourages his patients. I wish everyone could have him as their surgeon!! :)

Aug. 8th, 2001 - Now Dr. Bolar has done it again. He's always trying to go above & beyond... to help someone out. He has created a 'resturant card' for all of his patients. We can take these to resturants & be served smaller portions (with a smaller price) instead of having to pay full price & not be able to finish it. Some resturants will give you a hard time when you ask for this, but with this card it helps solve that problem. Thanks Dr. Bolar!

Also, he has started his own in-person support group meetings. All are invited - pre-op & post-op... even if you are not his patient. I'm excited to meet some bypass buddies in person! :)

Everyone I spoke with said this IS THE surgeon for the RNY. I would imagine that praise encompasses not only his excellent surgical history but his amiable manners as well. On my first visit, I was pretty impressed. I had researched this surgery to high heaven on the net and in my medical textbooks, but he taught me a few things that I hadn't seen before. He's really laid back and honestly seems to enjoy this stuff AND his patients. And I must heap praise and honor upon Amy and Catherine, two fine members of his staff. I'm sure I bothered them with my many calls, but they were always super nice to me when the phone rang again and again.

My new surgeon is Dr. Bolar. I met Dr Bolar and he's very thorough and accurate in his explanation of the surgery. My boyfriend learned for the first time all about the rearrangement of my digestive system. I've heard only good things about this Dr who has done more than 1100 (I believe) of these procedures. I was preapproved for surgery so it was just a matter of getting the insurance coverage changed from Dr Gaar to Dr Bolar. Dr Bolar's staff that I have met are Carol and Catherine. Both ladies are very nice and extremely helpful. After I have my surgery, I'll include information about my experience at Georgetown Hospital. I've heard it's a very good place.


About Dr Gaar (and staff) who dropped me as a patient:

Dr Gaar spends a lot of time with the first consultation. He makes sure he understands your health issues and is careful to explain what to expect from WLS. He takes as much time as you need to answer your questions. The consultation is one on one, not done with a group of ppl. This surgeon is not churning out gastric bypass in an assembly line type fashion. He seems caring and concerned with making sure all factors are such that will produce a safe and successful outcome.

My impression of Dr. Gaar (as a person, not as a skilled surgeon) did change over time. See comments above for more info.

His staff is a one woman phenom. Susan is efficient and well-organised. If she says it will happen, she doesn't forget. She promptly gets out the letters and documentation to the insurance company. She kept me informed, was very patient with me when I was denied the first time around by the insurance company. However, she didnt question my denial by the insurance co. I had to check into that and find out specifically why I was denied, then take steps to provide the insurance co. with enough info to get approval, which Susan then resubmitted. Don't expect Susan to carry you. Be actively involved. Find out what your ins. co requires for approval and oversee that process.

I find Dr. Bolar to be very caring of his patients as he answers your emails and takes the time to explain the procedure in detail. I feel he gives personalized attention to all his patients. It is my understanding he has performed over 1400 Open RNY surgeries and NO major complications. His office staff is friendly and helpful.

My first impression of Dr. Bolar was a good one. I went to one of his seminars and was very impressed with his presentation and his caring attitude. I then scheduled an appointment at his office. When he came into the exam room it was as if he was an old friend. Dr. Bolar is as down to earth as you can get. He took lots of time to explain the procedure and answer all of the questions asked by myself and my wife. I could not believe he was taking so much time with us, as we all know usually the doctor is in and out before you can blink an eye. He even showed us pictures of his children, and in particular pictures of his yougest daughter.
The staff is very nice and helpful, especially Catherine. After talking with Dr. Bolar she took us in her office and went over every detail conerning insurance, hospital stay, and what to expect afterwards.
I think this is a good decision, I will keep you posted after the surgery which is scheduled for November 5th.

May 18, 2001--I met Dr. Bolar and he went over the procedure, and thoroughly discussed risks and complications. He has performed many surgeries of this type and has had excellent results. I asked him questions about colon cancer in which I have a family history on both sides of my family. Well, I talked myself into a colonoscopy. He wants to see if there is anything indications of cancer because that would affect my reasons to have this surgery now. I think this indicates the dedication to his patients and though I tried to talk him out of the colonoscopy he insisted it was in my best interest.

August 16, 2001--I had surgery on July 30 and I can't say enough good things about Dr. Bolar and Georgetown Community Hospital. Dr. Bolar is a skilled, competent, and caring surgeon who really cares about you as a patient. And the staff in his office and the staff at the hospital are just beyond nice. My family commented on how well they were treated; my husband was even provided with a cot for a night.

September 1st: I met with Dr. Bolar yesterday. I am so happy with the choices that I have made. He is wonderful along with his staff. They are extremely polite and completely professional. We spent a great deal of time with him. He explained EVERYTHING in detail. No stone was left unturned. Aftercare is really stressed. He has an excellent bedside manner. I just can't say enough great things about them. We are looking at December 12th as a tennative date. My insurance has been contacted to get everything in writing. I am so anxious!

Gee...first time to add info to my profile, all I did was talk about the post-op patient that I met in the office..dah! I am still very grateful to her, but let me tell you my impression of Dr. Bolar.

1st impression was a great one. He had a sense of humor, without being 'fake'.

He was knowledgeable and confident in his surgical ability. He took his time explaining the proceedure, as well as the risks, aftercare and encouraged any and all questions. We, my mother and I, were in his office talking with him for about an hour.

His nurse, forgive me, I have no idea of her name, was very friendly. She seemed knowledgeable and also encouraged me that this doctor was the best. (said not to let Dr. Bolar know that she said he was so nice :) sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Maybe 100% positive reviews are generally less informative, but as of yet, I have nothing negative to say. WAIT!!! I do!!!!!! LOL. The drive...4 hours, 1 way. That was a drag, and to tell you the truth, I'm kinda worried about the risks of having a surgeon that is so far away. Dr. Bolar is in my network though, and at the risk of sounding too 'positive', I can't imagine letting anyone else do this.

Dr Bolar was recommended by a friend from this website. Thanks Lissa.
Dr Bolar was very thorough in his explanation of the procedure, his experience, and what will occur from beginning to end (my new beginning). I was impressed by his manner. He also seems to have a decent sense of humor too. He did give the impression of NOT being arrogant, but he was very confident. I felt very comfortable with him.

P.S. I originally wrote that Dr Bolar was arrogant. That was a careless ommission. Dr. Bolar is the furthest thing from arrogant. Sorry about the mistake.