Dr. M. Asem Bakkar, MD

Media Releases

Get to know General Surgeon Dr. M. Asem Bakkar, who serves patients in Canon City, Colorado.

Dr. Bakkar is a general surgeon who can be found on staff at St. Thomas More Physician Group – General Surgery in Canon City, Colorado.

As a Centura Health Physician Group, St. Thomas More Physician Group – General Surgery was recently awarded the top five most improved general surgery practices in patient satisfaction, as compared to other surgery practices in the Centura Health network that spans Colorado and Kansas. The team of professionals within the group perform procedures and surgeries such as colonoscopies, EGD’s, thoracic surgery, gallbladder, hernia, appendectomies, bowel resections, colostomy, breast biopsies, lumpectomies, and mastectomies. They are dedicated to providing safe, high-quality surgical care and outstanding clinical outcomes. 

On the subject of his educational background, Dr. Bakkar received his premed requirements at Arapahoe Community College and Shoreline Community College. He then went on to earn his medical degree from the University of St. Eustatius School of Medicine. Upon graduation, he completed his clinical rotations at the Northern Colorado Medical Center in Greeley and the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. He was then off to his surgical residency with the Maricopa Integrated Health Systems in Phoenix, Arizona. There, his training and specialties included open appendectomies, colon and rectal surgeries, various hernia repairs, thyroidectomies, as well as gallbladder and stomach surgeries. 

Upon embarking on his professional journey, the doctor started out as a Volunteer Research Assistant in the Mayo Clinic’s Tumor Biology Program. From there, he served as Managing Hyperbaric Supervisor at the University of St. Eustatius. He then moved into the surgical field, working as a surgical resident, general surgeon, locum general surgeon, and contract general surgeon across the United States before coming to St. Thomas More.

General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland. A general surgeon performs a wide range of abdominal surgeries for many forms of intestinal and abdominal wall neoplasms, gallbladder disease, gastric and pancreatic disease. They follow the patient through critical care and surgical recovery all the way to outpatient care. 

Outside of the office, Dr. Bakkar enjoys hunting, fishing, and listening to music. He likes to spend his free time playing guitar and bass.

Recommended Articles

• What to Expect After Gallbladder Surgery

  The Gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that is located below the liver. It is found on the right side of the abdomen. Its primary function is to take and store the fluid that is released from the liver to help in digestion (bile). The surgical procedure that is used to extract a damaged...

• Appendicitis and Appendectomy

  Health care personnel can identify many cases of appendicitis by checking the patient's medical history and then doing a physical examination of the individual.The health care personnel will ask questions like:...

• Gastric Bypass Surgery: Can I Afford It?

  Gastric bypass surgery has become a popular weight loss procedure, and can be considered the gold standard for weight loss surgeries. However, the cost of gastric bypass surgery is sky-high, and this is one of most common factors taken into consideration ahead of surgery.In the normal digestive...

• Recovering From Anal Fissure Surgery

  An anal fissure is normally the result of the overstretching of the anal mucosa or moist tissue. It can overstretch due to a number of reasons such as passing extra-large and/or hard stools, constipation, low blood flow to the area, excessive diarrhea, dietary choices, and childbirth among others....

• Understanding Hernia and Hernia Surgery

  Feeling pain and swelling in the groin region can be a very unpleasant experience, especially when the pain gets worse when you cough or lift heavy objects. Experiencing these symptoms might signify the presence of groin hernia. A groin hernia is usually referred to in medical terms as an inguinal...

• How to Prepare for an Appendectomy

  What Really Is Appendicitis?To understand the term appendicitis, you need first to understand what the appendix is. The appendix is a small structure that is finger-shaped and located in the abdomen in connection with the large intestines. More specifically, this structure is found on lower right...