Dr. Michael Lessa Baptista, MD

Great surgeon, educator & care provider

Dr Baptista put my lapband in in 2009. I have never had a bit of trouble with it. When I go in for a visit and he asks me how my band is... I just say it is "perfect!" and it always is. I may need it loosened or tightened but not very often over the years.

Dr. Baptista has helped change my life. I recently had weight loss surgery a little over a year ago. I am down 100 pounds. Dr. Baptist was there for me during the entire weight loss process and I would like to thank him for his services.

Dr. Baptista helped me change my life, I have been overweight my whole life and after the surgery I feel better about myself.

I can't say enough great things about Dr Baptista and his staff.

It is my immense pleasure to review Dr. Baptista. He is a very knowledgeable,caring, and dedicated physician. What I appreciate the most is the quality time spent on pre/post education about your procedure. Never did I feel rushed or hurried. After discharge from my procedure, I thought I was having complications. I was able to text him afterhours directly to be assured that everything was going as normal. His humble and good spirited nature draws trust and respect. I have recommended several of my friends and family to Dr. Baptista. I want to thank him for aiding me in getting my life back on track. My overall rating for Dr. Baptista and staff is a 4.

I first took the initiative to look into having the lap-band procedure just months before my 30th birthday. My father, who was a physician, had appproached me with the idea of having lap-band as a viable weight-loss solution in my early 20's, but I declined his offer on account of being quite young. So now, as an older and somewhat wiser adult who knew that weight loss surgery was the answer after failing at several weight loss programs and becoming morbidly obese along the way, I began to research the best physicians for my specific procedure. As luck had it, one of the physicians that I had researched happened to be in the first coast area, Dr. Michael Baptista. His reputation proceeded him as I heard from many magazines, medical journals, and real human beings that he was the best of the best. Dr. Baptista offered a free informational session that advanced me into a question and answer session with the reknowned physician. I was very impressed. He answered all of my questions and… gave me an overveiw of the procedure. I knew I was on to something because I had never heard of a doctor who would monitor your weight loss after the procedure. Most of the other physicians I researched just did the procedure and I would have been on my own after that, on the otherhand, Dr. Baptista told us that he helps his patients with the weightloss journey. Dr. Baptista also explained that he had a nutitiounist on staff, a monthly support group, and that before the surgery all patients would be briefed by Dr. Baptista himself AND his team, which would allow me and my loved ones to rest assured that Dr. Baptista thinks about my safety first and wants me to be successful after the procedure. I then went to an appointment at his office, where I was introduced to the weight loss team. During this appointment, I felt very comfortable. Being overweight I was very sensitive about the subject but his weight loss team treated me with dignity and respect. I almost cried when I was interviewed, that's how serious it was for me, but he gave me alot of words of encouragement. I began to notice how well his staff treated me and I was even able to laugh with Dr. Baptista about my hardships, something I hadn't been able to do for quite sometime. After meeting the team at that first office visit, I knew he was my guy. Just as promised in the free informational session, I met with a nutritionist, had a psyche evaluation, and was educated a little more on the surgery.The surgery itself was painless, after all Dr. Baptista has done over 1,000 of these procedures. Even my mom was suprised that I could walk around hours after the surgery. Dr. Baptista also has state of the art equipmment (post surgery) that he uses to make sure my lap-band experience is a pleasant one with no complications and weight mesurement equipment so I can track my progress. After the surgery, I knew my overall health would improve, but what I was not so sure about was the cosmetic aspect of weight loss: I was worried about loose skin. Dr. Baprista took time to show me some exercises that I could do to prevent loose skin from becoming a problem. I don't have to worry about loose skin now because the exercises work. It is not so much what I was worried about that mattered, the important thing is that Dr. Baptista listened to my concerns and helped me find a solution quickly with attentiveness to detail while sharing in my passion to lose weight, a practice he has used when approaching all of my concerns. My results are as follows: My blood pressure went from 140/105 to 100/60. My blood tests show that my trigycerides and cholesterol are excellent. The highest I ever weighed was 298 pounds and now, a year and a couple months later...I am a modest 188 pounds, 3 pounds away from my desired weight. Without the support of Dr. Baptista's one on one conferences each visit, the help of a nutritionist, a weekly support group, state of the art equipment for my actual band and to measure my weightloss; I would not have been able to lose as much weight, gracefully. Weight loss with the lap-band procedure is just like Dr. Baptista described the first day I met him: a lifestyle change and my lifestyle is better than I ever imagined. Sign up for a free informational session this month and I garuntee (sp.) it will change your life- you have everything to gain and nothing to lose!

I went in to surgery thinking I was going to have one thing done and he did something different. I got an infection. I got diarrhea and wounds opened and drained for 10 months. Yes, I went back to him a couple of times and he just opened the wound a little more, packed it a time or two, and let it drain. I never got completely well and 4 years later had to go to another doctor to have everything fixed. My blood work was so out of whack that the new doctor was truly worried what they'd find when they looked inside.

I first met Dr. Baptista in 2007 when he and another Doctor practiced together, my wife and I wound up having Lap Band surgery. Dr. Baptista did hers and was supposed to do mine but the partner wound up doing the surgery due to a scheduling issue. Boy do I wish I had rescheduled, my wife has had hers for about 7 years with no problems, my lap band had to be removed after about 2 years due to stomach erosion and now in retrospect, probably the quality of the surgeon. I saw Dr. Baptista about the problem because there was a fair amount of discomfort, he got me into the emergency room quickly and removed the band and made sure I would have no further problems. At that point I didn't want to consider any further surgery. After a few years and about 65 pounds more, I was at an all time high weight and could tell it in my activities. I discussed in depth with Dr. Baptista what I should do and we decided on the Sleeve Gastorectomy. I went in for the surgery and had some complications but… that is when I really learned what a person Dr. Baptista was. He treated me as if I were a close relative, I had access to him by phone 24/7 and he even encouraged me to call him and let me know my condition. I don't think you will find that anywhere else, in my 60 years, I haven't. I have never had so much confidence and comfort with a physician, as I said Dr. Baptista is one in a million.

Dr. Baptista comes across as a doctor who really cares about his patients. If I am having difficulties or issues, he takes the time to listen as well as talking to me. His staff is friendly and greats me as if I am a friend, not just a patient.