Dr. John Anthony Poole

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Dr. John Poole is the well-respected director of the colo-rectal surgery unit of the largest public hospital in the country, San Juan de Dios, and has been a surgical consultant there since 1995. After completing his own student residency, Dr. Poole has been a guiding force at major hospitals and universities in Guatemala City, training emerging medical graduates, as well as diagnosing and treating his own patients with the precision and compassion that comes from over thirty years of clinical experience.

Dr. Poole takes a holistic approach to treating new patients, spending plenty of time with them to learn all aspects of their health and lifestyle. He will assess patients carefully and methodically, to avoid any misunderstandings or unnecessary office visits. This whole-body approach allows him to examine all potential contributing factors to present symptoms, and then consider the most effective solutions for a treatment plan.

“Many proctology problems like irritable bowel and constipation are the result of not eating properly, so I take extra time for nutritional consulting, to promote proper dietary habits.” says Dr. Poole. Research suggests that up to 35 percent of cancers are related to poor diet. By modifying what you eat and being active, you can reduce your risk of cancer and other health problems.

We take colonoscopies very seriously because some people may require a polypectomy, where we remove a suspicious tumor or intestinal growths that could become cancerous. We work in collaboration with pathologists and multi-disciplinary oncologists (cancer doctors) to evaluate, confer and ultimately determine the plan of treatment that will yield the best chance of successful outcome for our patients. If colorectal cancer does occur, early detection and treatment dramatically increases the chances of survival to 90%.

In addition to performing various general internal surgery procedures, Dr. Poole is especially well-versed in thyroid and endocrine problems. He has either lead or assisted in the majority of thyroid operations performed in Guatemala.

Dr. Poole has treated thousands of patients from all over the world, and from all walks of life. Several long-term patients in Guatemala trust him as their own primary care physician or internal medicine specialist. For highly-sophisticated internal surgeries or a dietary consultation, he accepts all forms of insurance and can adjust billing for those who need it.

He tells us, “The best testimonial of continuing success is that the patients keep coming back, and refer their friends too.”