Alexander Abkin Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS, FASMBS

My first impression of Dr. Abkin was positive. He and his staff were very professional and friendly. Future patients of Dr. Abkin should know that he is straight forward and has a very knowledgable staff. The before and aftercare programs are very important. You must take it very seriously so as not to add any risk to your health. Overall rating on Dr. Abkin and office would be an 8.5 this is a high grade with always knowing they need to keep up with the changing times and room for improvement. Surgical competence is very important, but if a Dr has no bedside manner it is not easy to put your life in their hands.

My first impression of Dr. Abkin was quite favorable. He must do hundreds of orientation sessions, but he was fully involved and very patient with questions. One on one, he is very good at explaining the process and very knowledgable, even for obscure questions. rnrnHis office staff is very competent and responsive. I've been particularly impressed by the insurance person, Karla.rnrnThe surgery process and aftercare are very well thought out. All bases are covered in a format that is easy to follow and very supportive.rnrnTo me, surgical competence is paramount and Dr. Abkin certainly has that. As an added bonus, his personality and style are also top notch. On a scale of 1-10, I'm thinking Dr. Abkin is an easy 10.

On January 10th 2008 I had the absolute pleasure of meeting my surgeon Dr. Abkin at a weight loss seminar hosted at St.Peter's University in New Brunswick, NJ. After the seminar Dr. Abkin took the time to meet with myself and my mom and briefly discuss my concerns and questions about weight loss surgery. After meeting Dr.Abkin and his staff, I knew this is where i belonged. Dr. Abkin and his staff are truly angels. The staff are not only friendly and accommodating but they are truly interested and concerned with your well being as a patient. Dr. Abkin, along with his staff take the time to make sure that every care and concern are addressed and that you are 100% ready for not only your weight loss surgery, but your life long journey. On May 12th 2008 I went in for my surgery without a care in the world. I knew that I was in safe hands. I walked into the OR and saw Dr. Abkin and was ready to roll! I knew that everything was going to go smoothly, and it did! After surgery Dr.Abkin checks on you to make sure you are comfortable and okay. He came in to check on me every day I was in the hospital and on discharge day was there to wish me well and let me know that I did awesome and would continue to do so. Dr.Abkin and his staff make you feel at ease and keep encouraging you throughout your journey. I can not thank Dr.Abkin along with his staff for helping me make and fulfill this life changing difference.

I don't even know where to begin... Dr. Abkin is amazing! I had my surgery about 15 months ago. I remember when I first met Dr. Abkin- he was so charming and calm. He immediatly put me at ease. And, even though that office is always packed with patients and, you sometimes have to wait a while, when he comes to see you, he takes his time and answers every single question you may have. He doesn't rush you; explains everything in detail. He helped me see that I could go further than I thought with this surgery (Lap Band). When I felt discouraged he helped me see that it's ok to fall once in a while, as long as we continue moving forward. Dr. Abkin helps you find the solution to your weight problem if you've hit a wall so you can continue losing weight. I can't even begin to say how wonderful I think he is... TRULY! I would recommend (without reservations) Dr. Abkin to anyone wanting to have Lap Band surgery!!!

Dr. Abkin has a smile that lights up a room. When he looks at you, you feel that he is totally concentrating on you and how you feel. He was absolutely wonderful answering all my questions before surgery. In the OR, he was kind and compassionate and took time with me. He knew I was nervous and was very reassuring. After the surgery, he visited me daily and really listened to what I had to say. And he also reacted to my needs. Being a nurse myself, I know many surgeons have a poor bedside manner. Not Dr. Abkin....he has a GREAT bedside manner and really makes you feel like you are the only person in the world and takes all the time you need. Nothing is rushed. You really feel like he is there for you.rnrnYes, Dr. Abkin stresses a structured aftercare program. Before surgery, you had to attend a class on the program to make sure you understood what was expected of you and what the plans were. They were very thorough and you knew exactly what to expect. I felt very prepared for surgery.rnrnThe risks of surgery was addressed several times very thoroughly and bluntly. Dr. Abkin's nurse practitioner was very blunt and went over everthing that could possibly go wrong. She sited complications that happened in the past and why they did. She was very good. Dr. Abkin reiterated them all also. rnrnAs for my incisions, the are healing nicely with no skin infections. He even took time to try to use previous scars as sites to minimize scaring. Very caring professional.rnrnI would rate Dr. Abkin 10 out of 10. I have already recommended him to others. His bedside manner and surgical competence are great.

I felt Dr.Abkin was very respectful, all around great Dr. Dr. Abkin really listens to what the patient has to say andexplains evrything to you not just once but over again if needed. Dr. Abkins office staff also are wonerful people.I really dont have anything bad to say about Dr. Abkin. Patients will really enjoy Dr. Abkin becuse as i said he explains the surgery you are having right down to the diet and never left anything out that was going to not happen,also answers all questions you have spends time with you doesnt rush you out of his office. Dr. Abkin cant emphasize enough of the aftercare you need to follow. He addressed the risks of surgery at first visist and just before surgey. I rate Dr.Abkin if the numbers where 1 being bad and 10 being exellent then 10 it is.

1. awsome guy easy going willing to help with anything.rn2. impression never changed still same thoughts.rn3.same as him willing to go way out of there way to make you happy.rn4.----rn5.speak your mind infront of him tell him all your worrys and problems due to your obesity.rn6. alot rn8.said it was very risky but thats with any surgery your going to have but the outcome was awsome.rn9. a 10 a+++++++rn

I first met Dr. Abkin at the seminar my friend and I went to pre-consult. It was there that we learned all about the surgery, including the pros and cons. His staff was amazing - very polite and very thorough. After the seminar, we made our appointment, and that was the next time I saw Dr. Abkin. I fell in love with his manner, and professionalism. He has a great sense of humor, that really makes it easier when you're in pain, in the hospital. If my impression has changed over time, it is only for the better. While sometimes it is hard to get a hold of his office staff as they are extremely busy, they do get back to you as soon as they can. Prior to surgery, they hold a three hour \"class\" that covers all of the basics, including aftercare, diet, consent forms, etc. Overall, I would rate Dr. Abkin a 10 on a scale of 10.

I could not have chosen better! Dr Abkin is friendly, caring and confident. Because of the skill of Drs Abkin and Bertha my surgery is without any complication...because of my hard work it is a success! Their expertice in the OR coupled with the staff's respectful and thorough patient care have been gifts.

My first impression: I met him for the first time at a seminar. I thought he was well informed and to the point. I also felt that I could trust him--which is an issue with me--trust him to the point of getting to the next step, a consultation.rnDuring the consultation he told me I would have to lose more weight (I had already lost 106 lbs) and due to certain health issues I would probably have to have a minor procedure done to avoid a complication and also that I needed basically all my doctors to give me the green light to set a date. I was disappointed because I think my expectations might have been too high but I realized that Dr. Abkin was looking out for my best interests. Because of that, I trusted him more and respected him. He isn't a bs artist and would't be bullied.rnHis office staff is very helpful and kind. They seem to anticipate my requests before they even come out. They are professional, but not detached. They're warm and I felt able to let my guard down.rnThere was nothing I didn't like about Dr. Abkin--maybe I wish he had his own nutritionists and metabolic doctors on staff so I could go to the one office rather than having to make multiple appointments.rnFuture patients should know that he is trustworthy and worth looking into. His reputation and track record are impeccable. On a personal note, I have always been distrustful of doctors and avoided them most of my life because I felt I was being judged and because they were cold and humorless. Dr. Abkin has a sense of humor and is disarming which allowed me to relax which is key because I have anxiety issues.rnHe does emphasize aftercare and has a structured aftercare program called The Program.rnHe addressed the risks of surgery by telling me the plain truth and urging me to register on this website as well as ClarityMD for more infor.rnOn a scale of 1-5, I would rate him a five (highest)rnSurgical competence or bedside manner, which is better. I guess it's a matter of degrees, but I would have to say both are equally important as long as it's understood I wouldn't let an idiot with a bad rep do my surgery even if he had a sparkling personality.rn