Mark R. Gibbs Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

he was a very pleasant informative Dr
my impression is even better now
his office staff were so very helpful with insurance
the onl thing i didnt like was he is so busy but still did take time for me
i would recommend him highly to anyone his staff helped so much in every way
they provided a very good book on aftercare and his nurse explained it so well
yes they have a very structured aftercare plan
he explained the risks and emphasized them
i would rate him as the best
i think bedside manner is very important but think that surgical competence has to be the most important factor

After meeting Dr. Gibbs and his staff I was very impressed with their manner in which my first vist was conducted. Dr. Gibbs answered all of my questions and he explained in detail the surgery and the risk.

Dr.Gibbs has a very kind heart and shows compasion for obese people. Other doctors I had been to made me feel ashame of being overweight.

Donna and Ashley were the RN's who were very kind and very professional. I had to call his office after being released from the hospital and they were very prompt in returning my call .

It is hard to rate Dr. Gibbs and his staff except to say they are **WONDERFUL**!

I feel that Dr. Gibbs is a outstanding surgeon with a bedside manner to match.

Dr Gibbs is very pleasant understanding and instead of talking at you he talks to you.
He explained all of the surgical procedure including the risks involved he gets an A+ with me his nurse told me that with my insurance that i should know either way next week on my appoval

I have worked in the medical field for over five years. I have been lucky enough to work one on one with doctors. I had a list in my head that I wanted the surgeon to meet before I chose him to do my surgery. I met with Dr. Gibbs last week to see if he met my criteria. My first impression of Dr. Gibbs is that he met every quality I feel is important for a surgeon to have. Which is, he didn't make me feel rushed or that his time was more important them mine. He was fully present with me in the room. He listened intently, answered all my questions, and made direct eye contact. Through our conversation, I truely believe he is talented and well trained, and I feel my life will be safe in his hands. In choosing this surgery, it is important to find a support system. Dr. Gibbs patients have access to a support group that meet monthly. It is also stressed to you to call anytime you have any question. I have interacted with the staff for over a month now, and I am very impressed. I know how hard it is to keep a medical facility straight and working smooth, and I am extreamly impressed with Sue, and Madaline. I researched the surgery and what is needed for sucess, and I believe Dr. Gibbs has all the things needed in place to have a sucessful surgery and after care. They even have "restaurant cards" which I think is so wonderful! I am scheduled to have my surgery with Dr. Gibbs this Thursday. I have high hopes. I know it is not going to be easy, but I am ready. Please if you haven't made up your mind yet, research, research, research.

I haven't met Dr. Gibbs yet-just got insurance approval today. (8-2-00) Will post again after meeting him. Have heard excellent things, however!

Met Dr. Gibbs today for pre-op visit (8-29). He was very approachable and kind...seems to really have a heart for obese patients. I like him.

Met with Dr. Gibbs for a follow-up visit this week (9-19), and he was very pleasant and interested in how I am doing. He didn't make me feel rushed, and took the time to answer my many questions.

I thought he was a little impersonal but VERY professional.
On subsequent visits, I found him to be very personable. He seemed to remember me when I went back for post-op visits, even though I'd only met him once prior to my surgery.
Mostly very nice. Madeline, the main nurse, is a little brusk but, once you get to know her, she's much better. She seems like someone who has very little patience for fools.
Dr. Gibbs is a consumate surgeon. He may not be your "Pal" but he is a great doctor!
The St. Vincent Bariatric Center is devoted to aftercare. Even though I live several hours away from Little Rock, they have insisted I return for follow-ups rather than following up with my primary care physician.
Dr. Gibbs was very frank about the risks of this surgery. Prior to scheduling, a prospective patient must attend a lengthy seminar where all the pros and cons of this surgery are discussed. All questions are answered. My 18 y/o daughter is now scheduled for the surgery and, as any parent would be, I was concerned for my child's well-being. At one of my follow-up appointments I discussed the possibility of having the surgery done via Laparoscopy, as I thought a less-invasive procededure would be better. Dr. Gibbs was very honest with me about his criteria for doing this surgery via that manner and made it clear that he would not do it that way for my daughter due to the risk factor involved. Overall, I think Dr. Gibbs is an extrordinary doctor and would recommend him to anyone considering this procedure.
Clearly, surgical competence is much more important than having a good "bedside manner." If I'm not alive after my surgery, or if I develop life threatening complications, a good bedside manner is not going to benefit me. However, it sure is nice to like your doctor! Luckily, Dr. Gibbs is both an excellent surgeon and a likeable person.
On the negative side...Madeline IS hard to like. Although I have come to like her, I was not crazy about her at first. She can make you feel kind of stupid at times.
I did develop a staph infection following the surgery which Dr. Gibbs did not detect, despite my attendance at a follow-up appointment 3 weeks post-surgery. I did treat with a local doctor who diagnosed it and treated me with antibiotics.
My personal experience, on the whole, has been very good. I would recommend this surgery to any morbidly obese person. My own daughter is having it. You can't get much more of a recommendation than that.

Dr. Gibbs met with me briefly at a conference in Feb., but I have yet to meet with him one on one. I'm looking forward to going to his office on 4/18/00.

Okay, I went in and had my surgery May 26th. Dr. Gibbs did a good job and I've had no complications. He seems to be a very caring dr. I know he doesn't have as much follow with his patients as some of the other wls surgeons do. He is an excellent surgeon tho.

Dr. Gibbs is a very caring surgeon. I like him very much. He is VERY busy and has limited office hours which makes it difficult for my appointments because his office is a four hour drive away for me. This distance also makes it difficult for aftercare and follow up. His staff messed up my first appointment, which caused me some worry and frustration initially but they have since made up for that with their show of concern. There is not really a structured aftercare program that I am aware of and I have had some conflicting information on the postop diet. But I am told that people come from all over the country to this facility and this group of surgeons so yes I would recommend them. The risks of surgery were expressed fully to me by Dr. Gibbs. Like with all medical procedures each potential patient must research and ask questions.

I went to Dr Gibbs, for the first time on 04/18/00, he was great. He sat down and did not get in any hurry to explain the surgery procedure, any complications involved and other information regarding the surgery. I had alot of questions wrote down to ask him and he was very patient and answered the questions in detail. He did alot of talking but I got all my questions answered and more. I would highly recommend him to anyone considering this surgery. I am hoping to talk with his nurse tomorrow 4/19/00, and get the ball rolling with the insurance.

Met with Dr. Gibbs and he is absolutely great. Answered any question I had and I was very impressed with his "bed side manner"

2-22-00 Update
I am scheduled to have surgery tomorrow and someone from the doctors office called me about 1:30 pm this afternoon and said I needed to bring them $378 by 5:00 pm or they would have to reschedule the surgery next week. This was the first I ever heard of them wanting anything up front. If that's the case, I should have been told earlier. Luckily I had the money and will have the surgery but this did give me a scare. I took off work early to get it in to the office. The lady I gave the money to at the office was very nice and pleasant and apologized for not letting me know earlier but she had just gotten the file herself. I just think there must have been some miscommunication in the office, but then I too believe I should have been told I would be required to pay something (10%) upfront then I would have been expecting it.