Aviv Ben-Meir Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS

My first impression of Dr. Ben-Meir was that he was a very compassionate person. He was easy to talk with and answered any questions that I had. He was very confident about his abilities as a surgeon but yet he wasn't arrogant.

His office staff was very nice and very helpful.

I was very impresed with Dr. Ben-Meir when I first met him and my impression of him hasn't changed. He is listed as being in Virginia, but is currently working at St. Vincents Charity Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, through the Cleveland Bariatric Center. His office staff is very nice and at all times is very helpful. The Dietician could be a little more helpful but other than that, I am very pleased overall. He spent a lot of time interviewing me and answered any and all questions that I had. This is my 7th week after surgery and I haven't had a problem with the laporoscopic surgery yet. Bedside manner- He was very concerned for me and helpful in all manners. I rate him at the top of any list.

I had my first meeting with Dr. Ben-Meir Sept. 9th. My appointment was for 3:30. I didn't get in to see him until 5:30. The bariatric program at St. Vincent's in Cleveland is very busy and hasn't ramped up its staff to properly accommodate all the new people seeking surgery. The lateness notwithstanding, I had a good meeting with Dr. Ben-Meir. He was personable (for a surgeon), patient and took all the time I needed to answer questions, talk about risks, explain the surgery, etc. Dr. Ben-Meir is the only surgeon in the Cleveland area that offers a laparscopic Roux en Y on men (Dr. Stellato at University Hospital offers laparscopic only on women). The program at St. Vincent is very highly recommended by those that have gone through it. They have performed over 2,000 gastric procedures since their inception and by all accounts are the place to go in Cleveland for gastric bypass surgery. However, the facilities look old, some of the remodeling that was done wasn't finished. Dealing with the staff felt rushed and a little impersonal. Patients were backing up in the waiting room. While I was in a meeting with the insurance case worker, another case worker kept walking through the office we were using in order to get to another office. She walked several patients through the middle of our meeting. It was very awkward and seemed unprofessional. I realize they are busy, but I'm not very impressed with the program staff. Trying to reach my case worker was a study in patience as well. I called Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and twice Thursday. She called me back on Friday. It seems like they need a few more bodies and a crackerjack supervisor to smooth out the operation a bit.

The program consists of the surgery and a rather rigorous aftercare program with nutrition training, periodic follow-ups, many support groups, a fairly nice website, clothing exchange, and peer support. I haven't yet had any experience with these program elements, I hope they're not as loose and sloppy as my other experiences with the program.

In conclusion, I was pleased with Dr. Ben-Meir, and the depth of experience with the surgical staff. But I was completely underwhelmed by the staff and facilities. I still have an appointment with University Hospitals for the open surgery, so I'm not sure if I'm going to do it at St. Vincents or not.

12/19/2002 - Have completely changed my opinion of the St. Vincent's program. As I got deeper into it, closer to surgery, I was completely impressed with the level of professionalism and thoroughness of the program staff. Dr. Ben-Meir did a fantastic job on me. He took the time to answer all my questions, was very involved in my care from beginning to end. The surgery went off without a hitch. The bariatric nursing staff was fantastic. They took excellent care of me. I highly recommend Dr. Ben-Meir and the Cleveland Center for Bariatric Surgery at St. Vincent's Charity Hospital.

Had my first appt with DrBen-Meir,, Very straight forward,kind & knows his stuff, I like him & would suggest him to anyone wanting Lap surgery.

First I want to state that this is my own personal impression of Dr. Ben-Meir and his staff and I am in no way stating what others may experience.

He has now moved Cleveland, Ohio. My first impression was that we was very intelligent and would take good care of me. I never changed my impression of him. His staff at CCBS was wonderful. There was nothing that I did not like. Everyone was very courteous and professional. Future patients should definately consider him. He is kind of a stickler about things, but its because its for your own good. He empahsized aftercare and blood testing every year very much. He does have a structured after care program. He is very organized. CCBS has a ton of paperwork that goes over the risk of surgery. You also have a consult with the doctor in which he also discusses the risks. I would give Dr. Ben - Meir the highest rating. I really do believe that he is top notch.
I think that both surgical competence and bedside manner are both great to have. Dr Ben - Meir has both. But if I had to choose one over the other I would go with surgical competence.

I arrived for my surgical consult at 2 p.m., but didn't see the doctor until 4:30 because he had an emergency surgery. I was pleasantly surprised that he did not try to rush through the appointment. I was with him for over an hour. During that time, he explained the surgery in detail, and why he feels the RNY is the best of the available techniques. He also gave me an indepth list of possible complications and cautions. I knew quite a bit from this site, but I learned that ibuprofen and some other NSAIDs can promote ulcers after the surgery and that my MD may want to reconsider some of the time-release meds that I take, since things will not be sitting in my stomach after the surgery. I feel confident in Dr. Ben Meir. He communicates well, and is not removed from his patients like some doctors. He places the responsibility on the patients for aftercare, and stressed how important support is after surgery. I have already found a support group at his urging. I am glad that I will be in his care! Other than the delay for the appointment, my experience has been good. I would say that it seems that his support staff is somewhat disorganized in regards to paperwork--don't be afraid to stay on them for insurance submissions!!

DR. BEN-MEIR WAS VERY NICE TO TALK TO AND REALLY CARED ABOUT WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH BEING OVER WEIGHT.
I STILL FEEL THE SAME TODAY AS THE FIRST TIME I MET DR. BEN-MEIR;
THE STAFF AT ST. VINCENTS WHERE EXCELLENT PEOPLE WHO CARE ALOT ABOUT THERE JOB AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE THEY ARE HELPING.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS ANYTHING I DISLIKE ABOUT DR. BEN-MEIR
FUTURE PATIENTS SHOULD KNOW THAT DR. BEN-MEIR HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND AND WILL DO ALL HE CAN TO HELP YOU.
THEY DO STESS AFTERCARE, THE SURGERY IS ONLY A TOOL AND IF YOU CHOOSE IT CAN BENEFIT YOU THE REST OF YOUR LIFE BUT IF YOU DON'T THEN IT WILL ONLY BE A TEMPORARY FIX,
THE AFTERCARE PROGRAM IS VERY GOOD
THE RISK OF THE SURGERY WAS ADDRESSED AND UNDERSTOOD
OUT OF A RATING OF 1 TO 10 I WOULD GIVE DR. BEN-MEIR A 10
IF I HAD TO CHOOSE I WOULD LIKE MY DR. TO HAVE SURGICAL COMPETENCE OVER BEDSIDE MANNER BUT BOTH ARE GREAT

My first impression of Dr. Ben Meir was wonderful. He is sincere and seems to truly want to help people. He answered all of my questions and never rushed me. He too, asked a lot of questions of me, which told me he had my best interest at heart. The staff at CCBS is great. Everyone is so kind and helpful. I hope my experience with them remains the same.

My surgeon changed recently because of Dr. Patterson's new bundle of joy that came into her life. My surgeon now is Dr. Aviv Ben-Meir I had a consult with him on Sept. 25th and he is a very kind and caring Dr. I was extremely impressed by him and I have all the faith in the world that I will be in good hands with him.

I met Dr. BenMeir today (July 8th) and he was great! He was very open, honest, and down to earth. He made me feel very comfortable and at ease. I feel very delighted that he will be performing my surgery. I did research on him prior to meeting him so I was prepared. He made me feel like I already knew him. Because I had already been in the office for one consultation (different doctor) I did not have very many questions. But what I did have he answered without hesitation. I would rate him very high at this point of my journey.