George Kerlakian Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

DR KERLAKIAN AND HIS STAFF ARE WONDERFUL. I WOULD RECOMMEND HIM TO MY FAMILY AND FREINDS WITHOUT HESITATION. HIS PROGRAM IS STRUCTURED AND WELL RUN. FROM THE FIRST MEETING YOU KNOW WHAT EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY WILL BE AND THE STAFF ARE WELL PREPARED TO ASSIST YOU.

Dr. K was great through the entire process. Very caring. Listened well and answered questioned and concerns promptly and clearly. Post-op, he was very involved in my recovery. Because I had severe complications, he took extra time and attention to my needs.

Dr. kerlakian is a great Dr. Common sense is one thing I have noticed he has. His staff is caring and responsive. He tells you upfront what to expect, the bad and good. I am 10 months out have lost 150 pounds. Thanks Doc

Dr. Kerlakian is a wonderful surgeon who cares about his patients and their care both before and after surgery. I trusted him with my life and would again in a heartbeat. He is very honest and sincere when he is speaking with you, a trait I admire.

My first impression was he would be like alot of Doctors - arrogant (because of the business like atmosphere at the seminar). My impression changed after I met him personally. He is very intelligent, honest and confident of his competency (which in turn, changed my impression of him). He believes in GOD & Jesus Christ and that's what was most important to me. His office staff (especially Vicky & Ginny (dietician) are wonderful. Very sensative to my obesity issues. Patients should know that first impressions are not always lasting. When I first saw Dr. K at the seminar - his demeanor was different until I met with him personally. He's honest and forth right with information and desires to be truthful with his patients. He appears to be confident and seems to be open to the patients needs. He appears to be very much a patient advocate. He stresses pre-care as much as after-care. His pre-care qualifications are stressful (because of all the tests, Dr. visits, etc..), but he is very through and I would rather he be like that, then like some doctors who are so confident that they can fix everything. His aftercare program is very structured and for a person like me, that's what I require. Dr. K. like I said is very honest. He explained in detail the risks of the surgery and left "nothing" out. I told him that scared me and he said "If I didn't share that information with my patients, I would be lying to them & I don't want to lie to them, I want them to know what they're getting into". Overall - my rating of Dr. K. to this point - (1) day before my surgery, is excellent. I think he will be competent in all areas. But the thing that has impressed me the most, "is that he knows himself, that not everyone is perfect".

I have nothing negative to say about Dr Kerlakian. He is incredibly knowledgeable and honest about the surgeries he performs. He and his office staff have coordinated an informational seminar that all potential patients must attend. That seminar is invaluable and contains all the information/ways to get information that you will need for a successful surgery. In the seminar and at both surgeon appointments, Dr K addressed and explained the risks associated with surgery, adding that it's not a cure, it's a lot of hard work, and that there are no guarantees.

Vicky, Dr Kerlakian's Office Coordinator, is terrific. She's prompt and helpful with everything she does.

Dr K wants to make sure that each patient is following the rules for post-ops. My husband used FMLA time to stay home and help me while I recovered, and that's been a blessing, and we found that Dr K was very supportive of this. I give Dr Kerlakian an excellent rating, as he's demonstrated that he knows exactly what he needs to do for this surgery. I had a complication during my own surgery that required some extra work before he could finish. Despite that, I still think Dr K is the best - he was able to recognize and fix the problem.

I first met Dr. Kerlakian at his seminar for WLS. I really liked the way that he handled WLS -- taking a holistic approach. He understands that it is not only surgery that he performs for obese patients, but also that other factors need to be taken into account. So, he is very thorough in requirements before he even meets with you personally.

He currently (September 2003) requires the following to be done before meeting with you: 1) Meeting with Dietician, 2) Meeting and approval from Psychiatrist, 3) Meeting with Physical Therapist, 4) Meeting and surgery clearance from pulmonologist, and 5) Surgical approval from your primary care physician. Of course, they also need paperwork -- Diet History, Weight History, and your general information.

Dr. Kerlakian emphasizes that WLS is more than just surgery.. it is going to be a life change and you need to be prepared for it. So, there are requirements that you agree to before surgery as well -- such as meeting with a dietician after your surgery on an arranged basis. Also, he wants to make certain that the surgery is for you.

On my first consultation with him, he was wonderful to talk to you and wants to make certain that you know what you are getting into. He also requires a second consultation before surgery.

On my 2nd consultation, you have to bring a family member with you -- I took my aunt. He was very brief and to the point. He wants to make sure that your family is aware of the risks of the surgery and you are ready to take the next step. The 2nd appointment went very well for me.

I called the ofc & was told the 1st step is to go to an information seminar. So I am scheduled for mine October 21, 2003. Will update after that.

Dr Kerlarkian was a very pleasant informative Doctor as well as his staff.He answered my question and explained the proceedure well.I was very impressed.

I met with Dr. George Kerlakian and he was easy to talk to and very serious. It was like talking to my dad. He let me know that if I wasn't ready he would not do the surgery. He stated that this thing was serious. The staff is cool. They were professional. I will post the afters later.