Elliot Goodman Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I recently switched my surgeon to Dr. Goodman due to an emergency that my previous surgeon had that made him unavailable. What can I say about Dr. Goodman?? Well, for starters, he is amazing!!! I hadn't even seen him yet and I emailed him with some questions and he CALLED me right back. He even left me his pager number!! I am sooo happy I switched!! His secretary has been awesome as well.

I had my first consult with Dr Andrei today to discuss the possiblity of a lap. Since I have just developed heart disease this past Feb,and I've had other abdominal surgeries in the past, I wasn't sure I would qualify for the Lap. His office staff was just wonderful! I met Lisa and she took all the usual diet info. Then Dr Andrei came in the examining room. He read over all my past history and told me that since I've had other surgeries, there would probably be some adhesions that he would have to remove and that would take an additional two hours or so to do that. Then, the Lap surgery would be about three hours. He explained that he didn't want to take a chance because of my heart problems so he advised that I see Dr Brolin for the open RNY. He felt very bad that he couldn't help me and I was very impressed by his manner. He was very gentle and genuinely seemed to care. Since I couldn't get an appt with Dr Brolin until Dec, he said he would see what he could do to get me in sooner.
After seeing Dr Brolin last Friday and talking with his office today, they told me I could look forward to a February surgery date. I can't wait that long. It's taken me 3 months to see Dr Brolin and now they want to make me wait another 4 months for surgery? So, somehow with the help of God, I got an appointment with Dr Goodman in his office in Pascack, NJ. What a nice man! Very easy to talk to. He told me, depending on how quickly the insurance company is, that he could do a Nov 27th surgery for me. I am delighted. I have Cigna POS insurance so we'll see how easy this goes. Dr.Goodman started to write some letters as I was still in his office. He spent over one hour with me explaining everything to me and answering all my questions. I am delighted to have him as my surgeon. He has asked me to attend his next support meeting on Nov 20th at Pascack Valley hospital. He also told me that I should be back to work probably after three weeks. He was very easy to talk to and made me feel very comfortable.

my dr. emphasizes importance of support groups also the group associated with him (ie: nutritionist, psychologist & support groups) are conveniently located in one area. he has always responded to any questions or calls from me personally! when i first called to make an appointment with him, he actually called me to welcome me!! imagine my surprise when i heard his voice on my answering machine!!!! i am planning to be a part of the support groups after surgery have even set up my work schedule to attend the groups

I had Dr. Cooperstone when I lived in LI, NY and I have changed to Dr. Elliot Goodman, who is SUPER!!!
Dr. Cooperstone is the greatest!! I went back to him after not seeing him for 2 years and asked him to do a RNY because I am not satisfied with the VBG, and he was not angry and helped me alot! I am going for some tests and then we will see what the best surgery for me will be. He is very understanding and cute!! He really cares about me as a person not just a surgical procedure and that feels so great!!
I am traveling from the Bronx to see him because I trust him and he is a very people doctor so it is worth it to me!! Also his receptionist Fern is great and extremely helpful!!!
Since writing this I have changed surgeons because I want my surgeon to be closer to where I live and I have yet to meet Dr. Goodman, but have heard many good things about him, I have also spoken to him and when I finally meet him I will be sure to write all about him.

10/26/00
I met Dr. Goodman and he is wonderful and very sympathetic to my feelings and needs. Anytime I call him or email him he always answers me back in a timely manner. His assistant, Lesty, has also helped me a great deal. We sent all the information and applied to the insurance company on 10/20/00, and now I just have to be patient and await their approval. Dr. Goodman says he has never had any problem with them and if I just happen to be the one he has trouble with he will speak to the medical director and square away everything. I have a date for the surgery, and I cannot wait, and Dr. Goodman has been most reassuring. I like him and he does an excellent job at the surgery as well!!

10/30/00
NEWSFLASH!!!! I got my approval letter on Friday and I am approved for surgery on Dec. 5, 2000!!!!!!! Thank you God, thank you Dr. Goodman, thank you Lesty, his assistant in the office, and thank you GHI Insurance. I am going to have a new life at age 50, and I can hardly wait!!! Thank you angels, Martha O and Glendora Williams!!
I am so happy I have found this site, and thanks to everyone I have come across so far for helping me through the waiting for approval time, and I am so happy I am going to be released from the prison of compulsive overeating for the rest of my life!!!!!!!

First of all Dr. Goodman called me back himself after I had left a message at his office to begin my process. I was very impressed by that.

I immediately found Dr. Goodman to be very kind, easy to talk to, eager to answer all questions, very forthcoming with tons of info regarding risks, etc. It was very late at night (around 9:30 p.m.) and Dr. Goodman was more than obliging when, after spending a good 45 minutes with me,I asked him to further explain a few things to my husband who was out in the waiting room. We all spent another 20 minutes standing in the waiting room talking. He made my husband feel very at ease with regards to his concerns. He appears to be a genuinely nice person.

His office staff in New Jersey is terrific. If I have to call, I never feel rushed or like I'm bothering them. Dealing with both Mary and Linda is a pleasure.

His dietician/nutritionist(a very pleasant, knowledgeable lady) has just started an aftercare program for his New Jersey patients. Unfortunately, the first session starts on the same day as my surgery. Somehow, I don't think that I'll be able to make that session!

Based on my experience so far, I would give Dr. Goodman and his staff a gold medal! Judging from what his post-op patients say about him, my opinion seems to be right on the money. I'm confident that after my surgery next Monday, I'll feel the same way.

Surgical competence is extremely important, that goes without saying. But,it's also very reassuring when the surgeon that you're trusting your life with has a caring, warm bedside manner as well. To me, both are very important.

My sister-in-law went to see Dr. Goodman several months ago and did alot of research on Dr.Goodman's procedure and had her surgery done in April, 2000. When she first told me about him it was hard to believe - but she was so right. I have never met a doctor with more compassion and a doctor so personable and truly wanting to help you. The most thing that impressed me was the time he takes with his patients. He answers every question you have and doesn't move from the consult room until he is sure that you understand everything and that all your questions are answered to your satisfaction. Not only is his office staff very personable, but very helpful. I don't know what I would have done without Linda. She answered every question right from the start just as if she knew me for years. I was approved in only three days - so I think that tells alot about what what she knows. Dr. Goodman explains all the risks of surgery very carefully and makes sure that you understand all risks. If I had to rate him on a scale of 1 - 10, from the bottom of my heart, it would be a 11++++++++!!!! He has both surgical competence and a G R E A T bedside manner. As I had the good fortune to witness my sister-in-law's success story, I scheduled my surgery shortly after approval.

My first impression of Dr. Goodman was that he was very responsive and friendly. I called the office to see if they had received my online profile that I had submitted and was asked if I wanted a return call from Dr. Goodman. He called me that evening and spent a great deal of time with me on the telephone. He answered a battery of questions and even ran to an office down the hall to get me nutritional information off of a container of protein supplement. We also discussed the fact that despite him having been listed as an in network provider for Oxford, he was not a member and so the surgery, if I elected it, would be out of network. In addition, he had someone forward me information about the program at Montefiore as well as a questionnaire about weight loss/dieting history, sleep apnea and general psych history.

I went to an information session that was attended by pre ops, post ops, the nutritionist and the 2 doctors at Montefiore that perform the procedure. I found Dr. Goodman to be unusually pleasant and friendly for any human being let alone a surgeon as my experience has been that they are often arrogant SOBs! He was warm and gracious and smiled both easily and sincerely.

I saw him privately at his office less than a week later. Save for the fact that I didn't get to start my appointment until 2 hours after it was scheduled, I found the time I spent there to be both informative and comforting. I was brought to a room to watch a video that discusses the various WLS procedures and the risks and benefits of all. The video showed diagrams and discussed potential complications during and after surgery. Having spent about an hour in the waiting room talking to a woman who had had the surgery with Dr. Goodman about 5 months previously who liked him very much but who had struggled with the adjustments to her newly arranged equipment and lifestyle, the film unnerved me somewhat. However, it was forthright and thorough and I tend to want ALL the information and not just the "pretty stuff".

Dr. Goodman spent a great deal of time with me explaining in greater detail information about the surgery. I asked him many additional questions and he answered each and every one with patience and consideration. I did not feel pressured for time and got the sense that he genuinely cares for people. I was very impressed by his humanity and gentle nature. In addition to answering my questions, he reviewed the aftercare program that is included in the cost of the surgery. That program consists of 3 months of follow up visits with him as well as a weekly support group that consists of a combination of nutritional counseling and a more traditional psychology led sharing of information, feelings and experiences. I was fairly certain that I wanted to proceed with the surgery and signed a consent form while I was there. Prior to obtaining my signature, Dr. Goodman reviewed, once again in detail, the risks of the surgery and wrote them down along with the % of those patients who experience those side effects or risks. Only after that review did he ask for my signature.

The next step was for me to meet with the nutritionist and the psychologist to learn more and to be assessed prior to surgery. As the psychologist was going on vacation, I was not able to schedule that appointment for a couple of weeks.

The doctor's office took care of all of the paperwork and despite the delay in submitting all of the necessary information to the insurance company, I was approved immediately.

Based on my personal experience, I would say that so far, Dr. Goodman has had excellent surgical competence and bedside manner. I will say that about 3 weeks post op I developed a hardness and some swelling at the base of my incision line that concerned me. When I initially called about it and spoke to Dr. Goodman's assistant, he said he would have Dr. Goodman call me. Instead, the assistant called me back to tell me that Dr. Goodman had indicated that unless it was actually hurting me, that what I was experiencing was a normal part of the healing process and that I shouldn't worry. I was slightly concerned because I tend to not be an alarmist when it comes to health related issues and I was not convinced that the answer offered me was an accurate one. I hardly ever get sick or miss work time and usually when I think there is something wrong, there is. But Dr. Goodman didn't know me well enough yet to know that. The next day, I sent Dr. Goodman an e-mail with a few questions related to when I could resume certain types of activity and scar management and I readdressed the swelling, hardness and increasing redness asking if I would be able to see him before the support group a couple of days later if it did not improve. He replied quickly answering my questions and indicating that he would see me if I still needed him to. The morning of the afternoon that I was going to the support group, I called the assistant to let him know that I definitely wanted to see the Dr. because the situation had worsened. Dr. Goodman saw me after the support group at about 7pm and appeared to be glad that I was persistent in seeking him out. I had fluid that needed to be drained. While not certain that it was an infection, he prescribed antibiotics just in case and within a week, I was totally healed.

I have had an amazing recovery so far and went back to work after 13 days (my badge of courage, some have said) but I felt well enough to do so and the Dr. supported me in my desire to get on with my life.

Dr. Goodman appears to be adored and respected by almost every person I have encountered who has had him as their surgeon. He is an unusual person in his gentle nature, his ease with people, his warmth and patience for an often neurotic group of pre and post ops ESPECIALLY for a surgeon. Despite the fact that my out of pocket expense for the procedure was more because Dr. Goodman was an out of network provider, I am very glad I selected him to be my surgeon. I trusted him immediately and for me, that was as if not more important than anything else.

He was very nice and explained everything to me so I would know all of the side effect. When I was going to have my surgery I was freaky out I thought I was going to just scream. But after he came to my room and I was like so relaxed and I so much felt better knowing he was checking on me. Even know 28 days post op I'm glad to know that I can call him and he calls back with in min. I'm glad to have him for a doctor.

GOODMAN IS A GREAT DOCTOR HE MAKES YOU FEEL THAT YOU MATTER.
AN HIS STAFF DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO MAKE IT EASIER TO GET THIS DONE.
THAT HE MEANS WHAT HE SAIDS AN TO LISTENING TO HIM.
AFTER CARE IS IMPORTANT SO HE TELLS YOU POINT BLANK TO FOLLOW THEPROGRAM.
YES HE DOES HAVE A STRUCTURE AFTER CARE PROGRAM.
YES HE DOES ADDRESS THE RISK AN HE SET YOUR MIND AT EASY ABOUT THEM .

I THINK THERE SHOULD BE MORE DOCTORS WITH SUCH FEELINGS ABOUT THERE WORK LIKE DOCTOR GOODMAN.HE IS AN GREAT DOCTOR.

BOTH WERE GREAT.

I met Dr. Goodman after exchanging several emails over the July 4th weekend. I was able to arrange for an appointment on July 7th. I would like everyone to know my first impression of Dr. G was – he is a “Good Man”. Could his name be a coincidence? I don’t know. But anyway… I arrived at his office in Park Ridge, NJ & was informed he would be late because he got stuck in traffic on Route 4. There were two other individuals in the waiting room & this gave me the opportunity to quiz them on their procedures & experiences. When Dr. G arrived he was smiling & ready to see his patients. That impressed me because I know how I get when I am stuck in traffic & it is NOT a pretty sight . He knew the name of everyone in the room, even mine & greeted us all individually. My impression over time did not change. It just got better. I believe with Dr. G you get exactly what you see – a smiling, happy, genuine & sincere guy. He tells it like it is & does not sugar coat or gloss over anything. I think that is what I liked most about him. I felt I could ask any question & get a straight answer. Dr. G has two assistants at the Park Ridge office. Linda, whom I never met, but have spoken to on the phone numerous times. She is very helpful & if she doesn’t have the answer at her fingertips get finds out. Mary, whom I met the evening of my appointment, was very friendly & reassuring. I think patients should know that Dr. G appears to be down to earth, realistic & straightforward. As for aftercare Dr. G believes it is important to have structure, consistency & support. It is my understanding that at this time he does not offer a structured aftercare or support program out of his Park Ridge office. However, Linda has informed me one is currently (August 2000) in the works & should be underway within the next couple of months. Dr. G & his staff address the risks of surgery by providing each potential patient with a video to view just prior to the consultation meeting. The video addresses the different types of surgery that could be performed as well as details regarding the various risks one can encounter during & after the procedure is performed. I also asked many questions during the consultation & Dr. G addressed each & every one of them & my related concerns.

I cannot stress enough – it is the patient who must take responsibility – of the surgery & the research – ask questions. If you do not understand or are unclear on something ask again; keep asking until you get it. Be sure you understand. No Dr. no matter how brilliant can read your mind.

All in all, I would rate Dr. G as “off the scale”. No pun intended. He is a good man who is trying to help others. His personality complements his knowledge & experience.

I am schedule to have my surgery on September 8, 2000. I will come back the site shortly thereafter to update my information.