Roc W. Bauman, MD, FACS, FASMBS Bariatric Surgeon Medical Director at CMC-NorthEast

He was very serious about this surgery and he wanted to be sure I completely understood what changes would have to take place in my life for this surgery to be effective. He also stressed a very good after care program be essential for my well being.rnrnOver time, since it took one and a half years to get approval, Dr. Bauman really showed that he truely cared what happend with me. I had a problem with my iron levels and he would not consent to operate until he was sure this would be taken care of after surgery. I know that he is not in this to make the big bucks. He truely wants to help people that do not have any other way.rnrnHe staff has always been kind and very helpful. And I should know because I know I drove them crazy calling constantly.rnrnAftercare is essential to Dr. Bauman agreeing to do your sugery. He wants to make sure that the tool he makes is used properly. It gave me peace of mind to know that after my surgery I would not be thrown out to figure things out on my own. You can get into a lot of trouble if you don't know what your new stomach can handle and what it can't.rnrnOverall as far as I am concerned Dr. Roc Bauman is the absolute best choice if you are going to take this step.

Dr. Bauman is very professional and was not overly friendly the first time I met with him. He told me all about the surgery and told me the things that needed to be done before we set a date. The second time I saw him I had gained 5 pounds and he asked me why I had done that. I told him I was stressed out and he said that was no excuse. If I wanted to be successful, I had to do exactly what he said. I told him I would and I came home and told my husband that Doc Roc was not pleased with me. I kind of felt like he didn't like me but later realized that he takes all his patients very seriously and wants the best outcome for all of them. As I read all the postings on OH, I saw more and more postings about complications in the patients of other doctors in my area. The patients were happy with their final outcomes but many of them had a rough time getting there. Dr. Bauman has NEVER had a death from his surgeries and has the lowest complication record in this area. The nurses in the hospital told me that he is really picky with his patients and they knew better than to not follow his orders. They said he had operated on patients from all over the U.S. and Canada. He has his own wing of the hospital, which is listed as a Bariatric Center of Excellence. As I saw him more, after surgery, he seemed more relaxed. His staff is great. If you are a patient of his, you will see him one week after surgery, at one month, two, three, four, five, and six months, 9 months, and at one year. After that, you will see him yearly for follow up. Also, you will see a nutrionist before your surgery and monthly after surgery for the first year. Talk about follow up care !!!! He doesn't leave anything out. He tells you up front exactly what to expect, when, and for how long. In my opinion, he is the best surgeon in North Carolina and most likely he's one of the best in the whole United States. I can live without bedside manner if my surgeon is the best at what he does, but the longer I go to Dr. Bauman the more we seem to get to know each other. If I do exactly what he says to, (because if you don't he'll really fuss), I think maybe we'll even be friends by the end of my first year. Either way, I feel like God lead me to Doc Roc because of his knowlege and great skill. I love him !!!

AWESOME so far...have not had the surgery yet so that's the final discriminating factor. He is methodical, caring, but straight forward. Don't come in for a consult unless you have made up your mind on the surgery because he's not going to sway you one way or the other or one surgery over another. That is YOUR decision and he's just here to facilitate your decision and answer concerns/questions. I like his no-nonsense approach...very professional. He holds a seminar on Lapbanding and I found this to be VERY beneficial both information and decision wise. He methodically goes through the slides differentiating between the surgeries, but focuses on the Lapband as that's his specialty/expertise. His clinic is considered a BCBS Center of Excellence and highly touted in the nation. (Ironically, BCBS does NOT cover the Lapband procedure/?????)
His staff so far has been helpful and informative. I have sent documents needed to the office via email and fax, then received a confirmation back from them---that's comforting.

Have appointment on May 17th with Dr. Bauman. Office staff is very nice.

First impression? He's really got a great sense of humor. Yeah...and he seems really cool. Damn, this Man really knows his stuff...Whew, I am SO glad we found him. <p>

How did my impression change? I't only got better. We realized just how much passion he has for his work. Also, how much compassion he has for his patients. We also felt an amazing sense of comfort. Felt like we had known him forever. We actually had fun during our consultation. We left knowing we had made THE BEST choice in Surgeons.<p>

How would I describe his staff? Very nice and professional. A+++ We were very relaxed with everyone we worked with. They all gave us the same feeling as Dr. Bauman, like we had known them forever.<p>

What did I like least? Um..... The yellow stripe on his wall? (Inside joke) We liked everything about him. This question is pointless.<p>

What should future patients know about him? He is just what I have described above. All good things.<p>

How much does he emphasize after care? Too much is never enough. This is one thing that gives us a lot of comfort. He really wants you to succeed. He has a great aftercare plan.<p>

How did he address the risks? Well he was blunt. But in a caring way... :)<p>

How would I rate him? On a scale of 1 to 10 he gets an 11. <p>

Which is better surgical competence or bedside manner? Well we haven't had the surgery yet, but I know they are both going to be above and beyond standards.<p>

Added note: It says below these questions, that 100% positive reviews are generally less informative or even suspect, and that no person can be the "best" is all aspects. That's CRAP! So far we have had not one bad or unpleasant moment. (knock on wood it will stay that way) I feel sure it will. :) So like my 100% positive review of my Dr. and his staff or not, it's the truth. :) It is what it is.

Dr. Bauman was great! My Mother and Grandmother went with me to my first visit, we all three were very impressed with him and his staff. They made us feel very comfortable and when we left the office we felt like we had known his nurses all our lives. I told him I didn't know which surgery I wanted, I was still up in the air. He told me he wasn't going to push me to do one or the other but he would be there to answer any questions I had about either of them. Overall, so far, I give Dr. Bauman and his office a 10! Their GREAT!

Dr. Bauman was wonderful. He answered all my questions to the fullest on the first visit. I had a blood clot several years ago and Dr. Bauman was very concerned and took the extra precautions to ensure that this did not happen again. He had wonderful bedside manner and is always concerned about my well being. I am 3 weeks post op now and he is just as concerned as he was the first day. After care is very important. I saw him 1 week post op, 2 weeks post op and will see him again in one week for 4 weeks post op. He requires to see nutritionist monthly. Very structured program. I would recommend his program to anyone looking to have this surgery. I had the rny with a band.

He was very caring and down to earth. His office help was also very friendly.

My first impression of Dr. Bauman was/is that he is very reserved, but knowledgeable about his craft. Dr. Bauman made sure that I understood what was involved, including the benefits, risk and the seriousness of the procedure. He incouraged my questions. Dr. Bauman spoke frequently as surgery being a "tool". His staff has been very patient and kind from the very first telephone call. No matter how many times I call and ask questions, they are all so professional.

I have met with Dr. Roc a number of times because my husband had surgery with him on 9/6/05. Dr. Bauman is very thorough and very competant. I like that he is cautious and will not take chances. My husband was to have the "optional" silastic band added as a part of his Lap RNY, but Dr. Roc determined during surgery that it would increase his risk due to the presence of excess skin in his stomach. Dr. B did not do the band. I'd rather my surgeon be safe than sorry. Also his staff is very organized and knowledgeable. Dr. Roc has been identified by BCBS as a bariatric surgeon of excellence due to his extensive experience (over 800 surgeries). This designation makes insurence approval with BCBS a piece of cake.