Hazem Elariny MD Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

In December of 2002, I started interviewing surgeons for surgery. The first one I went to only performed one type of surgery... open proximal RNY. I wasn't interested in being cut so I continued my search. Dr. Elariny was highly recommended by a friend of a friend so I called the office and in December sat in on the workshop of which he attended. Two things I immediately liked... his age (he's very young and in my eyes that means up-to-date on the latest in medicine surrounding this surgery) and he had a wonderful sense of humor. Humor is great medicine in itself. He is an extremely busy man and the only downside is that I've met with him only once. Next time will be my surgery date. His office staff also needs desparate help. They are extremely overwhelmed and I found many phone calls I placed were never returned, faxes sent were never received, etc. I believe the popularity of this surgery has just taxed them all, but one thing's for sure.... I believe they all have a passion in helping the obese and I wouldn't want anyone else to perform the surgery.

-Well I finally had a one-on-one meeting with Dr. E on 2 April 2003. He was very impressive. He took the time to clarify a few matters that I was confused about; assisted me in choosing the surgery that is "right" for me; and he answered all of my questions without hesitation. After discussing my lifestyle with Dr. E I've decided that the "Vertical Gastroplasty with Sleeve (w/o banding)" is the procedure for me.

I also met with his Nutritionist that same day and got some pretty good vibes from her as well. Most of what she told me I already knew from the research I had conducted but it was good to hear her confirm the info I had already amassed.

I'll wait until after I have my surgery to rate the Doctor but again, I was most impressed by him.

-I went to Dr. Elariny's Orientation session on 28 Jan 03 and both he and his Nutritionist thoroughly explained all of the surgerys that he does. He answered all of the questions posed, discussed the operations in detail and told us what we could expect following the surgery. I was most impressed with the fact that the Doctor has done over 500 Weight Loss Surgerys and has never lost a patient and he does all of his surgerys Lap. I am scheduled to meet with his Nutritionist on 10 Feb for a one-on-one to get more information and to discuss the paperwork I have to submit to my Insurer. Bottom-line: as of today I am very, very impressed with Dr. Elariny and his staff. Just a little info about me: I am 5'3" tall and currently weigh-in at 256 lbs. I'm very hopeful that I will be changing this information following my WLS.

Dr. Elariny is a very knowledgable and skilled surgeon. Unfortunately, his staff is very busy and overworked. I have a hard time getting answer to a lot of my questions, but I wouldn't change anything. Dr. Elariny is the BEST surgeon around, when you can get a hold of him.

I found Dr. Elariny to be very knowledgeable and personable, with the best references on the east coast. His office staff may be a bit shorthanded, but always very polite and someone always answers their phone.(which is better than most PCP's) :)

Dr. E. as he is affectionately known, is in Arlington, VA. (NOT ALEXANDRIA) My first impression was that he was extremely confident about his superior surgical skills, in the nicest way. No GOD complex going on!! His office staff needs some organization to say the least, but they are friendly and somehow get the job done. All said, Dr. E. is doing the operating on me, his staff is not....and after much research he is the very BEST surgeon!!! He is very personable, though straight forward. He lets you know the risks and benefits of each surgery that he does, and he offers more variety than anyone. I am having the DS done LAP, and very few surgeons do this, and the ones who are beginning to do it, of course do not have the long successful track record that Dr. E. has. On a scale of 1-10, he is a 10+.
No other sugeon is touching me for this surgery, that's how stongly I feel about his ability. I know he sounds too perfect. Well, he got sick and I had to have my sugery date postponed 8.5 weeks!! That's the ONLY negative thing I can say, and GEEZE, he is human!! Nothing suspect here, he is just a truly gifted surgeon!! I can't wait for my "date" with him...the beginning of a new healthy life for me to share with my hubby (also Dr. E.'s patient) and my 3 yr. old son.

Dr. Elariny is an intelligent, kind and considerate man. His bedside manner is wonderful (especially for a surgeon). His willingness to help is humbling. He evidently was raised in a loving home as gentle spirits fill the room while he is present. He does not look upon you as less than and supports your decision. He listens specifically to the methodology used to reach your final choice of surgery. He shares his wealth of knowledge on a level that all are able to comprehend and digest.
He is the most skilled physician for the job and I felt totally comfortable putting my life in his hands. Without a doubt his office is struggling, but I must say that you should overlook all of those issues because he is the best. You are talking about your life and he will be at the helm of the OR table, not the office staff. Become your own advocate with regard to your appointments, insurance issues, surgery, lab results, pre-op scheduling and post-op needs. Familiarize yourself with everything about the surgery and the facility that you choose for your procedure. His staff are delightful people and I would rather not disclose the details of my encounters with them out of respect for them and their boss, Dr. Elariny. I do believe that he has become aware of admistrative problems and is activily seeking help to improve the flow of the office. I am one week post-op and would do it all over again without hesitation.

My first impression of Dr. Elariny is that he was very knowledgeable and caring. Excellent bedside manner and much younger than I expected. That has not changed over time. The office staff is experiencing major growing pains and some disorganization due to turn-over. I have not found anything I dislike about Dr. Elariny. Future patients should know that he is a phenominal surgeon who has given many people their quality of life back. He has worked through some pretty difficult cases and managed to have great success. He emphasizes aftercare a lot. He sometimes attends a monthly support group meeting. Even if he does not attend, his on-staff nutritionist attends and offers useful information. Dr. E was very frank and honest about the risks involved with surgery. He requires every patient to attend a 2 hour informational session prior to seeing him. He wants to ensure that every patient is truly informed about every aspect of the surgery they will request. Overall, on a scale of 1-10, I would give Dr. Elariny a 10. His surgical competence and bedside manner are both outstanding.

Dr. Elariny is AWESOME! My mom and I both went to his overview to learn about our options. She had insurance that paid for her right away and she had surgery in Feb 2002. After 1 year post op she is feeling great. I went for my consult (AGAIN) and as always was impressed with Dr. E and can't wait for him to be 'my date' on March 28!!!

I met Dr. Elariny last year in June when I first started exploring the option of WLS.I especially was interested in it laprascopic vs open surgery. My friend had lap surgery with him and was thrilled. The recovery is much quicker which I like. I had appointments with another Dr. but cancelled because he did open only. I have since talked to lots of patients of Dr. Elariny - all positive things to be said - except maybe a little abrupt. He makes you pick the type of surgery (he offers 5 or 6 variations, depending on what kind of eater you are - suger, binger, bloater) and give him the reason why. I liked the staff because when you called you always got a real person (not a machine). He makes you go to a seminar that he conducts explaining all the different lap surgeries. Very interesting. I actually went twice - so much info. Then you go to your one on one appointment. At that appointment he ran 3 hours behind (I've been told this is the normal) that was kinda anoying. I about had a panic attack waiting. But waiting there becomes a theropy secisson with everyone talking and comparing, etc. My insurance denied me. My bmi was not enough. I was 5'6 and 232 pounds. I am now 245. I have new insurance Mamsi and am awaiting approval. I am scheduled for March 31st surgery eitherway. Can't happen soon enough. I can't stop eating. O'ya, he insists you see a nutritionist. I am scheduled with his on March 17th.

My first impression of Dr. E was that he "knew his stuff". He was extremely informative and answered all questions posed to him. My impression of him has remained basically the same. All my questions have been answered and I am thus far, overall satisfied with my progress and the decision to have WLS. My only downfall with Dr. E is his staff. I think a physician with a practice as booming as his, needs to hire the staff to accommodate such a practice. I think the staff needs to be better trained and professional which start with common courtesy which in my experience in dealing with the staff has not always been the case.

Future patients should know that they are getting an excellant surgeon however will encounter discouragement in dealing with his staff. What I learned over the course of the last 10 months is that patience and persistance is needed throughout the process. That there is not enough staff to handle the influx of patients so don't be afraid to be aggressive in making sure that each staep is followed through with in getting authorizations, a surgery date or the hospital of choice. Don't feel like you are being too pushy in order to keep them working on your case. Call everyday if needed.

I think if I lived closer to the office, my drive is at least an hour during rush hour, I would have used the services, dietician, more after surgery. For me, it is too much of a stress knowing that I would have to deal with the staff to drive to the office and therefore I have utilized the dieticians at work or what I know to be good nutritional habits to help along the way.

I feel that I was well informed of the risks before surgery. I did the research and ObesityHelp.com helped as well. My biggest help came from knowing that GOD had my back and that through prayer, the outcome was already worked out. I was never afraid nor did I ever think that things would not work out with the best possible results. My faith in GOD and my knowing through his word that he's got great things in store for me helped keep me encouraged throughout the entire process.

Overall, I would not change one thing about the ten moonths. I have not been this happy in years. The weight is coming off and my self esteem has sky rocketed. I enjoy waking up now and looking in the mirror and not being disgusted by the person looking back at me. I love me and part of that thanks and love goes to my surgeon, Dr. Elariny.