Gary Korus Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS

I had a very positive experience thus far with Dr. Korus, his team, and the nurses and support staff at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia.

Excellent surgeon, caring person. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Korus. He can combine being all business and sensitivity, intelligence and being down-to-earth, pragmatism and optimism. I believe the actual surgery is just one small part of the WLS process. In the long term, what counts is having a doctor who not only performs the surgery effictively but provides a feeling of security and care, an excellent staff and continued monitoring and encouragement. Dr. Korus does all these things and more.

I have to say that at first blush, I was TERRIFIED to meet with a doctor, let alone a surgeon to discuss my weight problems. Now to be quite honest, to know me is to know that I am a very honest and open person, but weight has always been such a private matter that I didn’t feel open enough to discuss with anyone.
All of those feelings went flying out the window the first moment I sat down with Doctor Korus for a one on one consultation. The information session held prior to meeting Doctor Korus, seemed like more of the same rhetoric to me, but I only say this because I had read everything I could get my hands on with regards to WLS and had made my decision that I wanted the Lap Band procedure prior to pursuing any of this.

His staff is outstanding. Debbie is phenomenal at her job and I have to say I felt that she was a strong, guiding force for me through the entire process because it can feel a bit overwhelming at times. Also, from my past experience with hospitals and their staff, I had never been impressed. However, Doctor Korus and his crew run a tight ship so to say and they are all to be commended for the work they do daily.

I have no dislikes I can list about him. My only dislike for the entire procedure was when the anesthesiologist and an attending nurse prior to my surgery, had an argument in front of me with regards to pain management aftercare for my surgery. I felt it was unprofessional to have a conversation like this in front of a first time surgery patient, and it kicked my fear and emotions into overdrive.

What you should know is to be honest. You are doing this for you, and at the very core of the matter is how honest you can be with your doctor and yourself above all else. Don’t feel an ounce of shame for anything because you are now seizing control of it all and changing it for good. Some things you might need to share with Doctor Korus might not be the most flattering at times but he in no way will make you feel bad for this.

Doctor Korus is strong on the aftercare. From what I saw with my procedure, he was extremely hands on with all of his patients, coming to visit me, having the nutritionist come to visit me and other assorted staff before I left the hospital to make sure I was alright and comfortable. After I went home, he called me to check on my status and I had a slew of follow-up visits to attend. There is a monthly support group that pre and post op patients can attend, but to be quite honest, I’m not the biggest people person so I don’t attend. Also, being as I am banded, I simply need to pick up the phone when I need an adjustment, and schedule the appointment.

Doctor Korus was extremely honest about any impending risks of surgery, which in my case were extremely minimal. This is something I saw discussed at the information session, group meetings, privately with the doctor, and the nutritionist.

Rating Doctor Korus is a foreign concept in my mind. It would be parallel to rating a painting by DaVinci in my equation, which might sound a bit over the top but stick with me here on my logic. He is top notch, he’s hands on, there is no sense of a pompous arrogant attitude that you might think a surgeon would possess. He understands and appreciates the disease of overeating and is willing to work side by side with you to correct the problem at hand. His surgical competence and bedside manner are both exemplarily and I feel a lot of doctors in the world could take a page out of his play book.

Dr Gary Korus & his office staff are amazing!
His adminstrative assistant Debbie has did cart wheels in order for things to fall into place. Dr Korus is very informative and was willing to answer any questions etc. I never felt rushed when meeting with him. Even in the hospital, he made several visits to my room & even came in to give me update on my sister (she also has surgery with him on same day). I would totally recommend him as a surgeon !!!

Dr. Korus is the most personable Dr. I've ever met. The reason why I chose Dr. Korus is because he was able to answer all my questions without skipping a beat, and I had a lot of them! He took all the time needed for me to have all questions answered. I felt at ease and very comfortable with him. Not only on my first visit, but every visit. I have spoken to several post-op patients, and everyone praises this man.

Dr. Korus is warm, very friendly, sincere and professional. He is through and explains everything so that you will understand. A professional who is very much interested in his profession and this field of surgery. rnrnI found out a few weeks before my surgery that he was also one of my friend's doctor who had the open gastric bypass. She is in love with him! I cannot say enough good things about my doctor. I would recommend him to anyone who is interested in having the surgery.rnrnAlso, his staff is excellent! I never had to deal with my insurance company at all. There is a team, his administrative assistant, Debbie, my nutritionist, Karen. All of my appointments were made for me. I just had to show up! I had no headaches like I have seen some of the members go through with producing documents and contacting the insurance companies. I did not have one complaint, because they handled all of this for me. rnrnI also thank my primary care doctor, Dr. Elaine Reed, she knew about his background and the organization of his team.rnrnI thank God for them all!

I have heard nothing but great things about him and he is the 2nd surgeon I went to for a consult and his consult was much more informative.

Well, I just love him! I was given a short physical exam by one of his associates. Then I met with the nutritionist who gave me a pre-op diet and reviewed my eating habits. When Dr. Korus came in, I was put immediately at ease. He was thorough and gave me another brief physical and went over my history. We talked about my concerns. I feel so very confident in Dr. Korus.rnrn10/23/07 - Dr. Korus is PHENOMINAL!!! That's the bottom line. He saved my life and I would do it again and again with him!

Dr. Korus is a good guy, I like him. He's always polite, always greets me very personably, and even laughs when I'm firing off silly questions at him like it's an interrogation. He understands that if there's something I want to know, I'll ask no matter how idiotic it might seem to other physicians. He's not a snob at all just because he's a doctor, like some other physicians I've encountered. He understands by now that I lay it all on the table and he gives me straight answers. So far, I've mostly described his personality, but in my dealings with him to date, I don't feel that I can question his medical abilities. He's not given me any reason to doubt him pre-operatively, I sincerely doubt that it will be any different post-operatively. rnrnHe puts things in perspective as far as the risks vs the benefits of WLS. He explains the procedures and his experiences in the past. He's understanding and doesn't berate you because of your body, he understands what is ticking underneath of that and the person that is sitting in front of him is not \"Morbidly Obese\" - they are Mr/Mrs/Ms. So-and-so. rnrnHis staff is great, Debbie understands the frustration of dealing with insurance companies during the approval process. She's also great in getting me answers and working around any scheduling issues that may arise.rnrnSo far, so good. The worst part is having to travel to Philadelphia and because he does surgeries on certain days, his office hours are limited. To be honest, I was a bit leery when I read other reviews regarding his bedside manner, but maybe because I'm a bit thick skinned (pardon the pun! LOL), I went in prepared to come across a grumbly, crinkle browed doctor, thinking I can take this guy if he gets a big gruff. But, so far, I'm pleasantly surprised. But, to be fair, this is only my opinion and others have theirs. My advice is if this doctor seems to suit your needs, then by all means, check him out. If not, no harm done and find one that does. Good luck! rnrnUPDATE---rnrnDr Korus is really cool. I had my last appointment with him a week or so ago and he's really personable. He just laughs at me when I ask the DUMBEST questions; probably because I preface it with, \"Ok this will be really stupid but, what happens when...\" and he's cool about it. rnrnHe explained everything thoroughly and went over every little detail that he could lay out for me. Most of the time, before I could ask him something, he'd answer it. He's very competent and considerate. That's why I stayed with him instead of any local doctor. I figured when I first went that I'd check him out and if I didn't like him, I'd find someone else. I liked him immediately. I really recommend him if anyone is considering having a consult with him. rnrnPS - Dr. Korus, this glowing review means I get to ask you LOADS more stupid questions! I'm building credit...LOLrnrnPost-op update on Dr Korus:rnrnYep, it's all true - what a good guy! I have no complaints whatsoever. He was really good to me when I was so scared before the surgery and just as good afterward. He is so personable and caring. He reassured me as I came out of anesthesia that all went well. I had a hard time with some pain afterward, but he didn't leave me in the hands of staff, he took care of me himself and wouldn't leave until I was fine. He checked on me repeatedly throughout my stay, much more than I would expect for an average post-op round. He's always checking to see if I have any questions. He's been very encouraging. rnrnAnd, I have to throw in a big thanks to my hottie nurse Kert! Thanks for everything kitten! You were great =o)

I like the surgeon. He has been very straightforward, his staff is awesome. I am set for surgery in December and to date everything has gone smoothly. He also states he has some trauma background which makes me feel better should any issues pop up during surgery.