Hazem Elariny MD Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I first saw Dr. Elariny at his information seminar and was quite impressed. He was so knowledgable and seemed to be incredibly sure of himself, and even without meeting him I knew that I wanted him to perform my surgery. He explained everything in complete detail, answered every question, and he put me at ease. When I arrived at his office, my first impressions were that these people were going to be wonderful. The office was very comfortable with chairs you could just fall asleep in, I almost did. : ) His staff is also very informative and very nice and down to earth. My first meeting with him was later and I was a bit nervous. He answered every question I had, which I didn't have many, and he was incredibly nice and not rude or condescending. He is not warm and fuzzy (my opinion),however he seems to be incredibly gifted. He does not choose any procedure but rather lets you choose and you have to give him your reasons why, because he said this is about you not him. All in all I'm happy with my choice and I'm so glad that he was reccomended to me. He is direct and to the point and lets you know what he can do for you and what to expect from the results. I would and have already started giving him kudos to other people interested in having WLS. So far it's been a great experiance.

My first impression was that he knew what he was doing.

The Office staff is very helpful and informative.

He was very helpful when my mom and I went into surgery, he told us what to expect.

He is a wonderful surgeon who has done a lot of surgeries.

Quiet strength. I have nothing but faith in Dr. Elariny. His staff is also wonderful, and Dr. Chan did my endoscopy on Monday (12/5). I did have a lot of swelling around my jaw and it's achey but other than that I was asleep and I don't remember anything! I can't ask for more! His team of surgeons is dynamite and I can't wait to get the DS behind me!

He was very caring and knowledgable. He took time to meet with me and answer my questions. His program is comprehensive. He just doesn't do surgery, then let you go on your own. I would highly recommend him to anyone!

My first impression was of a very competent and professional surgeon. I was very nervous about the whole process before his discussion group meeting but came away with a sense of peace. He seems to strive to improve his techniques/information constantly and that was incredibly reassuring. He has a good follow up program and he and his staff are VERY insistent about structured aftercare. He is very straight forward about the risks and conservative about the rewards. The only negative thing that I can think of is that he is usually rushed for time (he is heavily in demand) which might be disconcerting to someone who wants alot of hand holding and reassurance and or expects promptness in their office appointments - he is always running behind I gather.
My main concern was locating someone who had great surgical competence as the surgery will have a long term affect on my life whereas a good bedside manner or lack thereof has a very short affect on my life. Although I had researched other local surgeons I did not feel the need to meet with them after meeting Dr. Elariny.

Dr e is a small slight man. He is very thorough in his orientation session. He will discuss abt 10 types of surgery he can perform. You will learn what type of eater you are so you can decide what surgery will make you sucessfull in your weight loss. You will meet his P.A.,Dietician, Ins Specialist,
Associate & Plastic Surg. You will not be pressured into the surgery. If you decide to have surgery you will need to contact his office,at this appointment you will be given a notebook with the required pre-op tests & detailed info abt your follow-up visits at 1,3,6,9 & 12mos including approx weight loss, foods & quanities you will be able to eat & the medications you will be given post-op & why you will be taking them. You will be given very specific info about quanities, & brands that will help you the most. He is very thorough & his aftercare is very structured. He has a very low Mortality rate. Compare his orientation with other surgeons & you will understand why he is a great surgeon. I rate him as an A+. Appts, reminders,routine matters are handled via internet.Non emergency calls take abt 1 day to return. Upon my experience I would recommend that you attend his orientation & decide for yourself.

So far, everything seems fine. I met with Dr. Chin, I believe that's his name. He was absolutely wonderful and friendly. He spent so much time with me and explained and answered every questions. This is the most comfortable I've felt since beginning my quest to have surgery.

8/11 - After surgery!! Dr. Elariny and Dr. Chen - nothing but eye candy!!! Surgery went perfect, if there is such a thing!! I would recommend this group!

Before even meeting him, I had an idea of how he worked and dealt with his patients. When I first heard him speak at the discussion he presents, along with the dietician and other surgical associates, I knew that he was highly knowledgeable about bariatric surgery. He does not tell you what type of surgery he thinks is best for the patient. He expects you to listen to him, do your research about not only the various surgery types he performs, but on how the surgery will impact your life. I like that he wants us to choose the type of surgery then tell him why we chose what we chose. The office staff is wonderful. Even though the office is crazy and hectic on many days, they know their jobs and manage the patients and business matters fast and efficiently. To Dr. Elariny, aftercare is critical to successful weight loss and maintenance after surgery. He asked that we follow up regularly and attend support groups to help us along the way. I feel that his competence and professionalism is the best feature of him, as well as the entire staff of ALAGSA. If I have to say something negative, it is the length of time having to wait to be seen in the office. It took 1 1/2 hours to be seen today due to double booking of patients. I do however, in my opinion, highly recommend the doctors and office staff.

I set my consult and am going down to VA in June. I called several surgeons and left messages. Since I was going to have to travel out of state (no surgeons performing a D/S in Iowa) I wanted a chance to get a "feel" for the surgeon, before I expended the time, effort and money to travel for a consultation. Dr. Elariny is one of the few who called me back PERSONALLY. Most had an assistant or nurse telephone me. Not Dr. Elariny. He was kind, insightful, intelligent and caring....all things one would hope to find in a surgeon. He spent time talking with me until all of my pre-consult questions were answered. I am looking forward to meeting this outstanding man in person.

When I met Dr. Elariny in person he was exactly as I expected. He was intelligent, caring and insightful...a man of wit and competence. I am blessed to have chosen him as my surgeon. If you are looking for a warm fuzzy hand-holdy surgeon, then Dr. Elariny may not be for you. But if you want a surgeon who is compassionate, warm but not gushy, skilled and intelligent, then he is the one. I need my surgeon to care and to listen, but he does not need to be the bringer of warm fuzzies, that is why my parents are going to be with me! My impression thus far? Excellent.

Dr. E does require that all potential patients sit through a lecture he gives on the various weightloss procedures. It is very helpful in that since Dr. E does all of the procedures, he is able to give a very blanced, objective opinion of each surgery and its relative pros and cons. He does not steer you towards one or another, but outlines why each one is best in which situation, for what type of personality and what kind of "eater".

I do know that he is just a little bit too busy, and does have a tendency to overbook office visits. But hey....if you are good everyone wants you. And, when I went for my consult, they called in a patient whose appointment time was 2:15...mine was 2:00 and I was early....and they took her first! I will be honest...that did roast my chestnuts just a bit. But I reminded myself that patience is a virtue....and that everything that I had heard about Dr. E meant that he is well worth the wait.

And...not that it matters one whit....he is a good looking man! LOL

I have my date now...August 20th!! Whoo hoo!

Dr. E is a great surgeon and I admire him for the work he does. I looked at my surgery and could'nt believe that some one could do such a great job in such a short time.