Roy Smoot Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

excellent surgeon i was very impressed with him from the first meeting and being a nurse was so happy to find a surgeon who made it easy to talk to his whole staff is like that no matter what the question or comment he or his staff always has an answer for you and an answer you could understand. My husband was so much more relaxed when he meet dr smoot, he had no fears or worries the doctor took the time and explained everything to him, i have never felt so relaxed or not nervous about surgery as i was with this group they were all excellent. the followup care is great i had one setback with dehydration and they were right on top of it had me back in the hospital rehydrated and home in a couple of days...the only down fall is his main office they are slow but the bariatric office is right on time very well run... i would recommend them to everyone as a matter of fact have sent 3 people for consultations 1 has had surgery and 1 is going to the 5th.. excellent bedside manner and will not let you be in pain that was my greatest fear since i was having the open surgery not laproscopic they weren't doing it then they are now and have heard great things about it... he has an excellent after care program and strongly recommends after care

My visit with Dr. Soot was a very relaxing one. He made me feel very at ease. The office staff I have met so far have been very kind and they made me feel very comfortable. They acted as though they really cared and that includes the Dr. Any other Dr. I have been to makes me feel so very uncomfortable. There was nothing I did not like about him or his staff. Future patients I would definatly refer them to him. Aftercare was stressed as a vital and very important part of the surgery. They told us the surgery was the easy part and the Aftercare was crucial and so was excercising and following up would be the hard part. The aftercare progrm consists of going to support group meetings and post-op visits are important. Dr. Smoot was very up front about the risk of surgery and no hiding the facts. I will wait to rate him after I have surgery. I believe surgical competence is of the utmost importance. A person must go into this surgery with the most confindence possible in the surgeon. We want the confidence in knowing that our lives are in the hands of a professional also a person who really cares about what happens to us. I do think bedside manner is an important part when going into this. I know from previous Doctors and there staff, if you are not comfortable with the people around you taking care of you, it will be a horriable and tramatic experience.

Dr. Smoot was great, he was very friendly and put you at ease immediately. His staff was also wonderful, when you go for your consultation Barbara Zink greets you and ensures that she has all the correct insurance information, then you are taken into a conference room with other people hoping to have surgery. Chris Bauer, Dr. Smoot's surgical nurse explains what you need to do to make this surgery work for you and then the Dr comes in to explain the surgical process, he goes over everything, the good the bad and the ugly.You are very much informed that this is a tool and not "magic in a bottle". They also explain what they do to combat anything that could go wrong during sugery (I liked this part,it helped put my husband at ease). The aftercare is exceptional, Dr. Smoot offers mental health care (if needed), nutritional counseling with your follow-up visits, they are BIG on aftercare. They really care about the patient and it shows! I would recommend this Clinic to everyone. I was very happy with the empathy and amount of respect I was shown.

My wife and I attended the vist together. The office staff was very caring and supportive. I can't say enough about how much teaching was done and how our questions were answered without hesitation. Dr. Smoot is a wonderful surgeon and very dedicated to helping overweght people change their lives when so many others are not. He stress the importance of follow up in the success of his patients. He explains that obesity is like any other kind of medical that needs constant attention by a doctor and that the patients need to continue to see him. He offers nutritional counseling as well as psychological support. HE also encouraged the exercise component as being a major role in this too. He discussed the risks up front and identified what he does to lessen the risk. I would recommend him to anyone interested in the surgery.

So far I have only dealt with Barbara at Dr. Smoot's office. She has been very helpful and I have my first appointment set for March 23, 2001. I have checked with nurses who work at the same hospital as Doctor Smoot and previous patients. So far I have only heard good things about him. His demeanor, his knowledge and his past experience.

Dr. Smoot is a very caring Dr. He stressed aftercare, which some Dr's just want to get you home and deal very little with you again. His concern for the long term made me feel more comfortable having him as my Dr. and just goes to show why so many people on the Eastern Shore are turning to him to have this surgery. I would also like to comment, Barbara, the person who handles the insurance approval process for Dr. Smoot's office, is absolutely wonderful. I do not think you could find a more caring and understanding person.

I originally had planned on having open RnY in the Washington, D.C. area. My only MAJOR concern was that of Post-op care with the distance involved (4 hour drive!).

I found Dr. Smoot through a relative and decided to meet with him. The moment I met this gentleman, I realized that I had found a doctor with empathy. His main concern was for ME ... not “ .... let’s just get the patients in and out and make some cash!” This man genuinely cared about my health.

His staff is well informed. The hospital (Nanticoke Memorial in Seaford DE) looks like a very small hospital from the outside. But please, do not be fooled. They have all of the latest and greatest gadgets available to Doctors in major cities. The staff to patient ratio seemed like 1:1. I was never in need of anything. The staff at the hospital took wonderful care of me while there.

One of the best things I like is that Dr. Smoot is now working with staff to establish a support group in the hospital. We only meet once a month now, but for Pre-ops, I feel this is a must. You will learn so much from everyone. We’re working on a booklet of information and possibly a web page in the not too distance future.

I know that there should be something negative to say, but I honestly don’t have any to report. I had the best care, the best hospital and the best aftercare you could ask for! As of 9/26/00, I’ve got 88lbs GONE FOREVER!!!! WHOO-HOO!!

Roy Smoot, MD.{(302)629-8662} 900 Middleford Road, Seaford, DE. Dr. Smoot was very surprised that I got his name from someone on the internet. I did have to wait a considerable length of time to see him (a month and a half), but found out later why this was. He performs 1-4 of these procedures a week. He performs every procedure himself and takes time to talk with future patients as long as they feel necessary. He is very down to earth. He explained the surgery in complete detail (he even drew illustrations). He explained why he only does open RNY even though he does other surgery procedures lap. He answered all of my questions with minimal effort. He made me feel very comfortable with him and with him doing my procedure. Dr. Smoot did say that the one thing that upsets him terribly is when people don't come back for their aftercare checkups. He addressed all the risks and stated that when the surgery date is set and comes near that we would go over the risks again. His humor is a little dry, but everyone can't get paid to do standup ...lol. I asked him about my insurance approving the procedure; he allowed me to speak with his claims admin (she had the procedure in April). She stated that the insurance provider that I have has approved other patients with minimal effort and should take about 3 weeks. She also stated that she calls them every other day until they give her an answer. Having the procedure herself, she is a good advocate for our cases. - Dawn

I first met Dr. Roy Smoot a few years ago, when I was researching the surgery. I was very impressed with him. He was professional yet very informative about the wls that he performs. (Roux-n-y gastric by-pass) He really knows what he is talking about. He is knowledgeable of the surgery and the procedures to follow before and after. The staff was friendly, courteous and very helpful.
He emphasizes with utmost importance that this surgery is just a tool to help and the rest is all dependent upon what we do with the tool that he has given you. He stresses the importance of nutrition and aftercare both physically, emotionally, and mentally. This is a totally life changing procedure. Dr. Smoot cares about the total human being and lets you know that he is in it for the long haul! He is great! So far so good.

Dr. Roy T. Smoot, locted in Seaford, DE is not on your list. I'm not sure how the doctors get on the list, but if the list is for board certified surgeons, he should be added. He not exclusively bariatric surgery, but that seems to be a great deal of his current caseload. Every other post-op patient I contacted had their surgery performed by Dr. Smoot. My first visit with him was wonderful. He has couches, not little chairs in his waiting area, his exam area is not a little table to lay on, it's a large chair type that lays you back, very patient friendly. When I first met Dr. Smoot I was very impressed with knowledge of morbid obesity and he was actually the one who helped me understand my obesity is not a character defect, it is a disease that is treatable, but diets just make it worse. We discussed the surgery, the pros, the cons, the possible side effects, the long range plans, the discussion of simple sugars and how even the surgery can be sabatoged by drinking high calorie empty drinks like sodas and milk shakes. He has a yearly gathering at Christmas for all his gastric bypass patients and for anyone considering the surgery to meet them. He is developing an even more in depth structured program at his site to include counseling, exercise, nutrition all in one place. He is board certified and every other doctor I have spoken to about my surgery has stated that Dr. Smoot is a fantastic surgeon. He has also received several awards. His manner is kind and understanding, he let me vent my fears and frustration, even as I cried not understanding why I seem powerless to win this battle, he just listened then we talked. I can't wait to get the surgery. I just wish I would win my appeal so I could get it sooner than having to wait to change companies and have it in July. Either way, I have faith it will happen and trust ultimately in God's perfect timing.

My only negative comment is the first time I called his office and asked about the surgery the person asked me what kind of insurance I had and when I told her, she said they don't pay and it wouldn't do any good to fight it. I just hung up so dejected, as after I heard about the surgery I was so excited. After a day or so and I had thought about it, I decided I didn't care what the person who answered the phone thought, my family doctor (primary care) had suggested I speak to Dr. Smoot, so I just called back, got another person and scheduled the initial consultation. It could have been the way I handled the initial call or maybe the person was unfamiliar with procedures. When I met with Dr. Smoot I told him about what happened, he apologized and said he is always happy to meet with people who want more information about the procedure and that if I wanted the surgery we should proceed and if denied, we would appeal. It has been a very positive process so far.