To the Staten Island Advance,

As a former patient of Dr Keith Berman, I was surprised and bemused by your article in Friday's paper regarding the malpractice suit that is being brought against him. The reportage is so blatantly one-sided and sensationalistic that to publish it at all violates a basic standard of journalism, which is that a news reporter should be neutral. The article was so biased that I wonder why the Plaintiff retained legal counsel at all, since it is obvious that the Advance itself has decided to assume the role of her Advocate.

Commonsense says that there are always two sides to every dispute. Your article did not so much as even attempt to present Dr Berman's side. Instead, the Doctor and his wife/Physician's Assistant were portrayed in a most negative and unflattering light. A truly objective presentation of the story would have included testimony from the patients who are grateful to Dr Berman for helping them to improve their self-images. There are hundreds of them.

I am one of them, but my case, I am sure, is quite typical. During my initial consultation with Dr Berman, I was first evaluated in order to determine whether I was a canidate for Plastic Surgery--not everyone is. Then, I was informed of the risks associated with the procedure. No grandioise promises were made. I was simply told that I would look better. I then elected to undergo the procedure and the results exceeded my expectations. I will testify to this in any court of law.

As for the lawsuit itself, it seems yet another example of a frivolous Medical Malpractice suit the sole aim of which is to line the Attorneys and Plaintiff's pockets with cash. If a dedicated, skilled and compassionate Surgeon's reputation is trashed is the process, so be it. I fully expect that the suit will be dismissed as groundless. The plaintiff will disappear into anonymity, but Dr Berman's reputation will have suffered and his valuable time been wasted. Truly pathetic journalism.