Aviv Ben-Meir Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS

'Wonderful wonderful dr!! I can't say thank you enough for for not only his work

'Dr. Ben-Meir is GREAT! Very polite

I loved my Dr. Very nice soft spoken and very clear at explaining all risks. Only met him once before surgery and felt completly comfortable with him preforming this procedure on me. He was very attentive in the hospital checking on me serveral times and always with a smile. I would recommend him to anyone !!

This doctor is extremely professional and really knows his job. He explained the lap-banding procedure in depth and included every single possible complication. He also has had NONE of those complications during any of his surgeries so I am feeling very secure in the knowledge that I have chosen the best guy for this job!

He even managed a smile once or twice which is a huge plus in my dept. I can't stand a doctor who is so technical and self-centered that he can't be human. Dr. Ben-Meir is a gem.

I thought that he was kind, very knowlegeable, and a dedicated. I really like the office staff at Cleveland Center for Bariatric Surgery, they are ALL nice, very supportive, knowledgable and dedicated. He does a lot of surgeries, has done over 1200. He's never had a leak and never lost a patient. The center emphasizes after care and is very persistent in discussing affects, effects, after surgery needs, pre surgery needs, and I have a TON of matierials and reference material, in addition to an extensive website to use for support. The process includes someone who is a nutritionist, nurses, consult staff, and admin. I'll add to this after surgery. I already seem to know more than a LOT of the people on obesity help.com seem to know..I wonder what their doctors are (not) telling them?????

I had gone to several other bariatric centers in and around Northeast Ohio close to where I live but I wasn't impressed by any of them until I met Dr. Ben-Meir. After talking to him I felt comfortable giving my life over to him so to speak in regards to the surgery. His gentle mannerisms and soft-spoken voice slowly explained the procedure to my husband and I as well as the risks and benefits. Dr. Ben-Meir made me feel like I was an important part of this process and that my input was valuable and needed to make this all work out.
The day after my surgery, I was in the X-Ray department and something was wrong with how the pouch was responding to the liquid barium solution. Dr. Ben-Meir came down from his practice(which is connected to the hospital) to look at the films himself and to be there for the second set of films to review them before I went back to my room.
It's been 9 months since my surgery and I've lost 144 pounds so far. I saw Dr. Ben-Meir a couple of weeks ago and he greeted me with the same enthusiasm and respect that I had felt upon our first meeting.
My only "negative" if you can even call it that is how busy the Bariatric center is I sometimes can not get through to the staff when I call in with a question. But, my nurse's email is posted on the website and I've had great response time using that medium instead of the phone.I would highly recommend Dr. Ben-Meir to anyone who is considering bariatric surgery!!!!

Dr. Ben-Meir has you sit down and watch a video before he will speak with you. In the video he tells you all about the surgery and what is expected of you. after you watch the video then you go and talk with him. he did not rush me and answered all my questions (even the hard ones about his patient death record) without hesitation. at first i was worried that his bedside manner wasnt going to be good but after talking with him for a couple of minutes, i realized that he was actually a pleasant person. I feel save in his hands. His office staff is nice. I have only had to deal with Latonya, but she has answered all of my questions. really I do not have any complaints. they have been better then what I expected

Dr.Ben-Meir is a wonderful surgeon. He was there to answer all my questions and he is very honest. The office staff is busy and they keep you informed on everything. When I came home one of the nurses called and made sure I was fine and they give you their personal pager number in case you need them. This is so nice. Dr. Ben-Meir did go over all the risks of the surgery. I would recommend him.

My first thought was "He doesn't look like his picture on St. Vincent's website"

My personal initial impression was that he was very straightforward, honest, confident in his abilities, and "human" as well. The risks were made well known as well as the benefits of this procedure. I left the appointment feeling for me personally, I had chosen the right surgeon.

He is very particular about pre-op care and post-op care, which I found comforting. There is a structured pre-op care program as well as an aftercare schedule and program, given to you in manual form as well.

The office staff are kind, friendly, even though they are very busy.

The first time I saw Dr. Ben-Meir was actually on a video. From what I could tell from the short video, he seemed very professional and wants to make sure that each and every prospective patient knows the risks and what they can expect from the surgery. When I met him in person (about 10 minutes after watching the video) he shook my hand and introduced himself. My first words to him were "You look different then in the movie!". We automatically were laughing!! He made a few jokes about the video, and from then on, I TOTALLY TRUST HIM WITH MY LIFE. He sat with me at his desk for at least a half an hour and talked to me. He really has a passion for helping bariatric patients. He advised me that he has had performed over 1200 LAPRASCOPIC gastric bypasses so far (not to mention the other forms as well) and he has NEVER had a single patient have a stomach leak. His statistics are superb. You can talk to him like he's a friend, rather than a Dr. He told me that he takes his time with each and every patient, and he takes great pride in his work. I have the utmost respect for this man, and I can honestly say that any fears I had when making the decision to have surgery are gone. Yes- there are risks, but I trust him. I would give Dr. Ben Meir a BIG 10 if I had to rate him so far.
As for the office staff, be prepared to follow through with everything and make calls to double check that everything is getting done. Don't expect them to call you back when they say they will either. But, I do believe that they are doing their jobs, getting insurance information, and working on your side for you. Patience is key. I didn't like the way that the receptionist Sondra treated me (she wasn't very pleasant at all!!) but she's not the one doing my surgery, so I just forget about her and concentrate on my Doctor and me!!!! That is just what my impression of Sondra was like, that may be different for someone else though..... it's just my opinioin. Regardless of the staff, I have faith in my Dr. and that's what counts.