Dr. Donald Balder was born in Evanston, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Champaign-Urbana with a B.S. degree in Chemistry. He matriculated and graduated from the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr Balder stayed initially in Chicago where he did his internship at the University of Illinois Department of Surgery Hospitals. He completed his General Surgery Residency at the Brown University Department of Surgery, in Providence, Rhode Island (where he completed his Chief Resident year as well). Dr. Balder was initially recruited to start a new surgical practice to specialize in advanced laparoscopic and vascular surgery by Carolinas Hospital System in Florence (Carolina Surgical Associates) and quickly was honored by Dr. C. Edward Floyd to join his longstanding and well respected Floyd Medical Associates, PA in Florence SC. In Florence, with Floyd Medical Associates while working at the McLeod Regional Medical Center and the Carolinas Hospital System he developed a highly respected minimally invasive surgery practice to include Laparoscopic anti-reflux (including hiatal hernia repair) and Laparoscopic Hernia (abdominal and inguinal) Surgery, Bariatric (weight loss surgery), Laparoscopic colon resection and Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery and Laparoscopic splenectomy. At Carolinas Hospital System in Florence, he preformed the first laparoscopic Bariatric surgery procedure – Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass in the state of South Carolina. He relocated his advanced and minimally invasive surgery practice after seven dedicated years of practice to Conway, SC. It was appropriately named Advanced Surgical Associates. He specializes in Minimally Invasive Surgery. He applies this techniques to Bariatric (Lap Band & Lap Gastric Bypass Surgery, Gastric Sleeve Surgery) and Vascular Surgery. In his everlasting desire to improve the care he renders his patients, Dr. Balder has now preformed the first "SILS" Lap Band Surgery in the state of South Carolina ("SILS" - Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery). This was first reported on the local CBS affiliate WBTW Good Friday April 10, 2009. He continues to be the only surgeon in South Carolina performing this surgery to date.
In May 2009, Dr. Balder performed the first in series of R.O.S.E. Procedure, a New "incisionless" minimally invasive surgery (for Previous Gastric Bypass patients who have had weight regain) in South Carolina. **Because of Dr. Balder's experience in performing the R.O.S.E. Procedure, he has been chosen as a proctor (teacher) for other surgeons by USGI Medical, Inc. to consult and educate the Bariatric Community in this NEW "incisionless" surgery on the East Coast.
Dr. Balder is one of the most experienced Laparoscopic & Bariatric Surgeons in the state of South Carolina. He helped pioneer and promote a safer modality of gallbladder surgery – termed the “dome down” laparoscopic cholecystectomy in early 1999 and 2000. He served as a proctor to other South Carolina Surgeons for advanced laparoscopic surgical intervention (Ethicon) and all Laparoscopic Hernia Repair (Bard) procedures while in Florence, South Carolina. He has had specialty training all advanced laparoscopic surgical procedures – anti-reflux surgery, hernia repairs (all types), laparoscopic colon resection, laparoscopic adrenalectomy, and many others. He is a Board Certified member of the American College of Surgeons (and recently re-certified 12/2008).
Additionally, over the last eleven years while we've seen a national trend toward minimally invasive and endovascular surgical therapies he has become one of the most experienced vascular and specifically endovascular interventionalists-surgeons in our state. He helped pioneer many advanced endovascular procedures here in S.C. to include the VNUS Closure & ClosureFAST (radiofrequency endovenous ablation / destruction of symptomatic varicose veins with reflux) and infra-inguinal interventions such as the endovascular Fox Hollow Silverhawk plaque excision procedure for promotion of limb salvage.
Dr. Balder is currently on the staff with Conway Medical Center (CMC) and Rivertown Surgical Center (a freestanding outpatient surgical center). He serves as the Director of Bariatric Surgery at Conway Medical Center and Director of Bariatric Surgery at the Rivertown Outpatient Surgery Center; where he successfully started the first Out-Patient Lap Band(R) program in the state of South Carolina.
Dr. Balder is a Fellow of the American College of Surgery. He holds memberships in the ASMBS - American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery; OAC - Obesity Action Coalition; SAGES - Society of American Gastrointestinal & Endoscopic Surgeons; South Carolina Chapter of the American College of Surgeons; South Carolina Medical Association; and the Horry County Medical Society.