Lester Cooperstone Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

May 8, 2002

I had my first meeting with Dr Cooperstone today, and I felt really comfortable with him. I felt like I could really talk to him, and he didnt rush me or made me feel like I was "just another patient". He wants me to go see a sleep specialist amd see if I might have sleep apnea because I do snore. After that, I can have my surgery date in aprox 2 months...

I came to Dr. Cooperstone after being denied by Aetna, I had applied through a different NY surgeon. The original surgeon I had applied through never returned my calls and his assistant who had a nasty attitude but was at least competent went out on disability. His replacement was so incompetant I knew I couldn't deal with his office. I looked on this site, obsityhelp.com and found dr. C. I have to admit I adored his assistant, Fern, from the first moment i spoke with her. She was so amazing to deal with (and still is :) I was really not sure about Dr. C, although my husband preferred him to my initial surgeon. I found him abrupt and a bit cold. I ended up attending one of his support group meetings and met someone who had been "butchered" by the surgeon I had originally intended to use. This guy said my first surgeon had an 85% COMPLICATION RATE. Well that sealed the decision right there and then. I booked for my surgery on Jan 8th and have never looked back. Dr.C. turned out to not only be incredibly competent but caring as well. His after care in the hospital was incredible and I must say he errs on the side of caution which is just fine with me. I am incredibly grateful to him and have had an easy transition into the post surgical life.

at first i thought he was young but he was compassionate and knowlegable, and brought me up to date on what was going to happen to me both physicale and mentle, his staff was kind and helped as much as she could with the insurance, i was approved the first time she submitted. at the beginning he had a very dry sence of humer, and a little cold i thought, but i thought to myself im not sleeping with him hes cutting me open so i dont care what his personalty is like, as long as he knows what hes doing in the operating room, and he did. after the surgery he came to see me in the room and made me feel like he really cared he forced me to get up and walk and told me why he showded me what a real doctor needs to know about patients, compassion. now at the support group meetings he shows up with a smile and some dry witt, well i cant expect him to change everything in 2 1/2 months. he pushes exercise very hard and expects you to follow his orders, he talks to you with a stone face about the risks of pre op and post op and if yoou dont want to follow his instructions then maybe hes not the surgon for you. hes only looking out for your best intrest. i feel he is one of the best doctors becaus he lets you know right from the begining he not there to be your friend hes there to save your life. i feel surgical competence is more important then bedside manner but its nice to have the both.

I had an Open Rny on 2/25/02. I am very happy that I chose to have my surgery done with Dr. Cooperstone. His bedside manner and surgical competence are both great!!! He came to visit me often in the hospital. His office is on the first floor of the hospital. Fern, his office manager, is as sweet as can be. She always answers your questions with a smile. She and Dr. Cooperstone both have lots of patience. Dr. Cooperstone does his surgeries at North Shore University Hospital at Syosset, NY. All of the staff there were very pleasant and accommodating. I was very happy that I didn't wake up from surgery with an NG tube down my throat, nor did I have a catheter, nor did I leave the hospital with a drain. Also, there were no staples closing my incision(I've heard that staples hurt a lot when you move around and they leave scars when they are removed). If I had it to do all over again, I would still choose Dr. Cooperstone. He is terrific!!!

My first impression of Dr. Cooperstone was that of a devoted professional, which remains unchanged. He answered all of my questions, listened to my concerns and continues to be helpful and supportive. His office manager Fern is great too! He offers a monthly support group (which I have not had the pleasure of attending yet, but am eager to do so) Dr. Cooperstone is a definite 10!

My first impression of Dr. Cooperstone was that he is a funny man, but he deals with the realistic. He explained the procedure and gave me realistic ideas after looking at me and examining me. He spoke to my mother and I about all my options and all the risk associated with this major surgery and he definitely did not sugarcoat it. He used words and pictures that we would understand. He gave me paperwork to take home and think about what i was going to do and how much it would change my life. I am glad my endocrinologist referred me to hime.. The office staff consist of one other person and she definitely looked over work, but she was kind and answered questions about my insurance and put me at ease. He made it clear what I would have to do before and after surgery. That I would have to see him for follow up care for at least the first 18 months. I have only seen him for the two appointment and what I saw and heard, I definitely liked. On a scale of 1-10, I give him a 8. Thanks Dr. Cooperstone!

Dr. Cooperstone is exactly the type of Surgeon I was looking for. I didn't want to go to one who hands you a list of seven doctors and tells you to come back after you've seen all of them. Some people may like this approach, but I prefer choosing my own doctors.
Once I had all of the required tests, I was able to schedule my surgery with a one month wait. The entire process only took me three months, which is amazing.
The really great part of having the surgery with Dr. C is that you don't leave the hospital with NG tubes and he doesn't use staples in the incision. Many post-ops find these two things the most unpleasant part of the surgery and it is a non-issue with him.
Fern, his one woman staff, is an absolute dynamo. She gets you through the whole process beautifully.
The surgery went really well. The doctor came to see me often while in the hospital. It is good to know that his office is in the same building. His bedside manner is tops. I would rate Dr. Cooperstone as excellent.

I would have to say that Dr.Cooperstone is a very competant surgeon.
During the 2 initial consults he was very matter-of-fact and informative about the surgery.
I think its great that he takes phone calls and e-mails post op, whenever I have any questions. He doesnt disregard his patients.
All in all, if I had to have surgery all over again I would choose him as a highly competant surgeon.
I would also like to mention his secretary Fern who is exceptional! She seems to always be available to answer the phone, answer questions, offers support and gives guidance.
I would have to say with the exception of doing the surgery herself, she is his right hand woman.

I liked him immediately. He was friendly, explained everything beautifully and had quite the sense of humor. He made me feel comfortable about my choice. And Fern in his office is a sweetheart, willing to help in whatever way she can....I will keep everyone posted....oh I just read some of the questions I am supposed to answer! He does emphasize aftercare, and has a monthly support group. And yes,he did address the risks of surgery, and in fact makes you take a quiz to make sure that you do understand.(I got 100%!!)
As I said before, I will keep everyone posted as I go along. My surgery is scheduled for Nov. 26, and I would love it if anyone would contact me with support and or helpful hints or whatever....

Dr.Cooperstone has an excellent reputation and I was very impressed with him and his secretary Fern.I'm scheduled for surgery and I'm glad I'm using Dr.Cooperstone.I have had an ordeal getting this surgery done and maybe it was meant to be because it brought me to Dr.Cooperstone.He has support groups every 1st Wednesday of the month and he operates at North Shore Hospital in Syosset.This hospital is for surgeries only and I have heard excellent things about this hospital.I'm very confident with Dr.Cooperstone.