Stephen Gooden Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

When I initially met Dr. Gooden, my initial impression was, "Boy is he frank." Dr Gooden made sure that I had all the necessary info as far as the risks and the benefits of the surgery in order to make an informed decesion about the surgery. Donna, the lady that handles the WLS cases in his office was more than helpful(once she received the necessary information from the insurance company) The only issue that I had was the amount of time between my initial consulatation and the date that the predetermination letter was sent out.Overall, I think Dr. Gooden and his office are fabalous!

I first met Dr. Gooden when I worked with him in the hospital. He is a wonderful surgeon and person. Since I have scheduled my surgery with him I have heard even more wonderful things about him. Dr. Gooden is very down to earth and wants you to understand everthing with no questions left unanswered.I have learned that he has a support group meeting every month.

My first impression of Dr. Gooden was that he was laid back, informative and gave adequate time to ask any questions I had. His office has one person involved with scheduling surgery and that was helpful. I felt disappointed that I had the impression I would be going into surgery soon with little fore warning when that wasn't the case. I believe a good pre-op evaluation was done. Because I have Medicare as my provider, there was no pre-authorization required. It is a matter of them battling it out with Medicare on my behalf. No balance due was discussed. I was asked to sign a form of responsibility for unpaid services, during my last pre-op visit. I feel confident of the surgical procedure he performed on me including the removal of my NG tube the day afterwards. He visited me everyday in the hospital and seemed comfortable with my progress. On my first post-op visit he was reassuring of my future weight loss and reminded me I was in early stages of healing. Supportive, I guess is what I am saying. My staples were removed after a week and I was alittle nervous about that, but all sites have continued to heal nicely. I was inquizitive about food choices and felt alittle unprepared for the return home. However, common sense things were a given and I was well prepared in spite of not having specifics from his office. And now that I am several a couple of weeks out of surgery, I think his approach to feed me what I needed to know, when I need to know; is a good approach to not getting overwhelmed before surgery. It's like he knew how a person wants to the point of self-defeat. His office called me back in a reasonable time limit every time I called including after my surgery. I have no problem recommending him as an excellent surgeon and a compassionate person. At the end of my post-op visit, a "thank you" just couldn't express my gratitude to him; and so he accepted my hug with ease.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Dr. Gooden. He is the absolute best!! So far, I've had no complications (almost 3 weeks post-op as of this writing). He has the greatest bedside manner of ANY physician I've ever encountered, on top of being a very skilled and experienced surgeon. He genuinely cares about the welfare of his patients. Add to that a fantastic sense of humor, and you have a near-perfect doctor. I'd recommend him to any and everyone!!!! Unfortunately, he is now retired. Wish he hadn't - I need the motivation, as I've regained 40+ lbs now that I'm nearly 6 years post-op!!

As with all doctor offices he was running behind and i was his last patient for the day but you would have thought it was 8 in the morning and i was his first. He was very pleasant and very personable and made me feel at ease. He thanked me for the profile i had typed up with all the medications i have been taking, a complete list of diets i had been on, and my past medical history of problems and surgeries. My orginal appt. was in june 2003 but I kept calling to see if someone had canceled and thankfully someone had and i got moved up to March. The office staff was very nice every time I called.

I first met Dr Gooden in 1997. He removed my gallbladder. I fell in love with him. There is no one like him. He is kind, gentle, supportive, wonderful and he has a great since of humor. Every time I see him, I enjoy our visit. I actually look forward to seeing him.

His staff is great. Lottie is a life saver. She is a joy to talk to and a tremendous help.

Honestly, there is nothing that I dislike about Dr Gooden. He has changed my life twice. When I went to see him, he gave me a hug.

When you go to see him...he lays it on the line. Risks, marriage problems, recovery time, and eating are top on his list. He is rather blunt about things. He is not mean or ugly in the way he tells you. He is honest.

I thank God for Dr Gooden. I had been thinking about surgery. I finally got up the nerve and called his office. YES! He does the Gastric Bypass. I was so thrilled. I knew him and I trusted him. I knew that he would take care of me. So I made an appointment and I am 81 pounds lighter and feeling GREAT!

I would just want to say one thing about my surgeon, and this is I think he is the best in the world. This man and the Good Lord have saved my life. He is such a caring and concerned person, not like some of the doctors I have dealt with in the past, who made me feel like I was a hopeless person that just sat and ate my life away. Dr. Gooden understands and is so compassionate, not one time have I felt uncomfortable talking to him. And I know that everyone knows how rare that is with a doctor. I just cant say enough good things about him. If I have to call the office I am never put off, I speak with his assistant, Allison, who is a sweetheart, and they call me right back if she cant answer my question. I just thank the Lord that I found this doctor and that he has such a wonderful staff. Thank you Dr. Gooden!

I met Dr Gooden today and I was very impressed with him.He told me the facts just as they are and did no covering up. I told him my reasons for wanting this surgery and he explained all the pros and cons. I was very excited that he said that I had convinced him that I should have the surgery. He made sure I understood the risk I was taking by having the surgery. He detailed both sugeries, Lap and Open, and emphasized many times if I was willing and ready to change my lifestyle. I told him that I was ready now and understood the risks and lifestyle changes that I would be encountering. Overall, I liked him very much and he said him and his staff would help me with my insurance. The girls in his office were all very nice.

I had my first consultation with Dr Gooden on 5/21/02. At first I thought he was trying to scare me away, he was definitely open and honest, we talked about the risks and the benefits of gastric bypass. I am pleased with what I've seen so far. He does want to have another meeting with hubby and me after insurance approval. He seemed confident that this surgery will happen in a couple of months.
11/20/02 I am very pleased so far with Dr Gooden. I will certainly recommend him to future patients.

I met with Dr. Gooden today (June 3rd) and I was very pleased. I was very nervous because I had had a few people tell me he was mean and/or blunt, but I liked him alot. I found him to be straight forward and honest and nice, which I admire. He made sure that I understood the risks and that it was not the "easy" way out. I am looking forward to being on the other side and being thin and beautiful and healthy. His office staff were very nice although my wait to see him was long. I would have to say it was worth the wait. I would and have recommended him to others.


Just wanted to add post op that Dr. Gooden is wonderful. I like him alot and he is so nice.