Jeffrey E. Friedman Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I will start by saying I did not begin my journey with Dr. Friedman as my first choice. I attended a seminar at Sacred Heart Hospital and found out that they do not accept my insurance. When asking about other payment options I was told \"you'll just have to go to Biloxi to have your surgery\" and the pretty much dismissed so they could help the next person.(I have military insurance.) The office staff made me feel insignificant and small (not my size!) I decided that I would just be obese rather than feel that way. A few months later I saw a commercial for Baptist Bariatrics on t.v. I called and made an appointment in May, 2009 and am now scheduled for surgery on June 15th. The moment I walked in the door of Dr. Freidman's office I felt welcome. The staff is fantastic and seems to really care about me, my concerns and my feelings. Dr. Freidman is WONDERFUL. My whole experience so far has been good. The personal care and concern for me and I am sure all of his patients is a breath of fresh air. I like the fact that he doesn't try to rush through my appointment. He takes as much time as I need. The Bariatric Center at Baptist puts the patient first and I like that. I feel good about my choice and am looking forward to the beginning of my new start.

My first impression was that he seemed very open and genuine. That first impression has been re-enforced with every visit. He is a very competent surgeon. His self-confidence is re-assuring. rnrnHis office staff is awesome! I'm usually the \"slow to warm\" type personality, but they made me feel like part of the gang right from the start. They were very helpful and did an excellent job of educating on every aspect of the surgery, pre and post.rnrnThe risks of surgery were explained in detail. Nothing was left out or glossed over.

My 1st impression of Dr. Friedman was that he really cared about his Patient's and was well educated in this Surgery and listens to concerns.rnMy impression of him hasn't really changed maybe only gotten better as I get to know him as I am only in my 4th week after lap band surgery.rnrnHis Staff is O.K nothing special. Of course I must Say, Has had some staff leave recently.rnrnThere is nothing that I can say I like least about Dr. Friedman I think he is great. and as far as future patients just get use to having a Dr. that cares about your success and yes he has a great structured aftercare program which he expects you to commit 5 yrs to. rnrnHe has a program you go to to meet the doctor and goes over the risks of surgery and answers any questions you have and a week before surgery goes over it one on one.rnrnI can't say enough good about Dr. Friedman I would rate him at the highest level. Both his bedside manner and surgical competence are great rnrn rnrn

I formed my first impression of Dr. Friedman when I attended his \"Meet The Doctor\" seminar. It was during his seminar that I decided I wanted him to be my surgeon. I found him to be very humble, modest, and honest during his presentation. Overtime, my impression did change, but only for the better. I discovered his genuine concern for his patients as well as extensive knowledge. Along with Dr. Friedman, his office staff is amazing. With there warm hearts and genuine concern, I feel completely comfortable in their office and working with them. Being completely honest, I cannot think of anything negative to say about Dr. Friedman and his staff. I have just begun my weightloss journey so, I do not have much to comment about on aftercare. Overall, I would rate Dr. Friedman and his staff with a 9.8/10 and would highly recommend anyone to attend his seminars to learn more about him, his staff, and the procedures.

I had the Lap band in Sept \"08\". Dr Friedman and his staff are all wonderful to work with. At every appt Dr Friedman made sure to address the risks of the surgery and to answer any questions I had. He would also empahsize the importance of aftercare. Especially with the lap band you HAVE to eat right and excercise. I am an employee at the Hospital so I see Dr Friedman in the halls. It means alot to me that he knows me by first name and will stop to talk and comment on my progress. His surgical competence and bedside manner are both great. I would highly recommend Dr Friedman to anyone who is considering weight loss surgery. To me he is THE BEST......

I first Dr. Friedman at one of the Meet the Doctors Seminars, held at Baptist. Needless to say I liked what I saw, so I scheduled an appointment with him for the lapband surgery. At my appointment, he was very nice and informative. I was a little concerned, because of his \"cool\" and laid back style. I did some more research and went back to see Dr. Friedman again, but this time for the RNY. He was so imformative, no surprise there, but he took his time to really talk to me and my husband, he put both our minds at ease. He is by far the BEST doctor, I have ever encountered. He really cares about his patients. My surgery was 3/17/09, and he did a wonderful job. He was one of the firt faces, I saw before surgery, immeditely after sugery, the morning after surgery, the evening after surgery,..you get the point. He is so compassionate and he took his time with me and answered every question,I had. I would recommend him to everyone. As it turned out his coolness and confidence in himself is just what i needed to keep me calm and focus. No Surprises, he explained everything. On a scale of 1-10, he a 10 hands down. I am very pleased with my choice and physician!!!!

So, if I were to say that I love Dr. Friedman and his staff...well, then I would sound like everyone else who wrote a review. So, here is what I think:rnrnI was banded at the end of Jan.rnrnI first met Dr. Friedman at a Meet The Doc seminar. Thought he was young, but expierenced. I had already scheduled my appt for our first meeting before I went to Meet the Doc. I had heard that my other option for a surgeon really pushed his patients to have Bypass, and I didnt want to be pushed in that direction. rnAt our first appointment, I loved that Dr. Friedman was very honest about what to expect from each surgery. He drew diagrams, explained the pro's and cons, and even helped put my boyfriend at ease. Dr. Friedman is very personable. I was leaning towards lapband, and again...Dr. Friedman made sure I knew that lapband wasnt a miracle tool...that some people do not succeed, you can cheat it, and it really comes down to how much you do to succeed. I ended up going with the lapband. I never felt pressured to get the Bypass, and I didnt feel like Dr. Friedman was in anyway disappointed with me.rnAmanda, Betty, and all the staff are fantastic. You feel like a memeber of their \"family\" from day one. It is hard to explain but its clear that they are very \"real\" and care about your success, instead of just pretending.rnAs I frequent other lapband websites, I hear these stories about doctors who did not tell people how \"hard\" it would be. I hear stories about doctors who overfill their patients and send them home unable to swallow water. I hear about doctors who dont put stitches around the band, or who have you on liquids for 4 weeks after surgery. I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to have Dr. Friedman and his staff behind me.rnDr. Friedman wants you to succeed. I always leave feeling pumped up (and I am not just talking about my band after a fill lol). He makes me laugh, he has a good rapport, he is invested in what he does and his patients. You meet with him right before your surgery and he visits you right after. If you need a fill before the time you have scheduled, you call and they get you in. Both times I have been in for a fill, he finds my port right away! rnAND, one more thing on the plus side (or maybe I should say plus size...again...joking)...I love the scale in the office. It always gives me better feedback than my scale at home.rnSo...to sum it up. If you have a choice on your physician or hospital...Dr. Friedman and the Bariatric Center of Excellence at Baptist Hospital is the way to go!rnrn

Dr. Friedman did lapband on myself & husband in Jan. & Feb.this year (09). Our first impression of him was that he was very informative & discussed all the risks pertaining to this surgery. His office staff is great & they all really encourage you to attend the support groups & never make you feel bad if you call with a question. Dr. Friedman is a caring compassionate Dr. with the best interest of his patients at heart. My husband & I have only grown to like him more with each visit. In my opinion surgical competence is A MUST but, bedside manner is important. Dr. Friedman has both. We would highly recommend him if you are considering WLS.

I had my Lap band surgery October 2008. I am a RN who has spent many years working in the Surgical ICU. I now work on the transplant team. Lets just say I know good surgeons. I used my connections at all the major hospitals locally and did my research before making appointment: I asked the nurses at all the hospitals what it was like to work with him, I talked to OR staff, and I asked fellow Surgeons what they thought of him. I heard over and over \"Friedman is THE BEST\" & \" I wouldn't take my family members to anyone else\". His skill set alone make him and outstanding surgeon, but it is his bedside manner and care for his patients that astounded me. Working with surgeons all the time,and knowing some of the best in the world, I was still skeptical and not sure he could make me comfortable. The very first time I met him, when I was telling him my struggle with wieght loss, He put down his clipboard looked me in the eye and really listened to me. I felt like he really cared about me, and my struggle. My husband had lots of concerns and he addressed each of those too.From a healthcare prespective his education and pre-surgery plan was AWESOME. Everything from a support group to professional specialists, to classes. I was thrilled with the level of education provided. After my surgery, I did great. I went home and had no complications. The team was great, and their customer service was outstanding. I am so GLAD I chose Dr. Friedman. I now tell everyone, \" he is the best, don't go anywhere else\". I have always said if you want to go to the best doctor ask the nurses who they go see, and who they take their family to, for me and nearly every nurse I know, we go to Friedman. He is the Best.

On 20 February 2009 I had the gastric bypass RNY with Dr. Jeffrey Freidman in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Friedman and his staff are professional and always make an effort to make you feel comfortable and welcome. I find myself very hard press to find anything negative to say. I had absolutely no complications during or after the surgery. Before the surgery I was very well informed on what the actual procedure entailed, what to expect during my hospital stay and very well schooled on what my restrictions and post surgery diet entailed. If you are looking for a doctor and staff that work together for your benefit, who has a support program before and after surgery and provide the tools you need to reach your goal; Dr. Friedman and his staff is what you are looking for. rnrnDiane W. rnValparaiso, Florida