Jonathan Aranow Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS

I finally met Dr Aranow today. He was great. He was confident and he had a great sense of humor. He put all my fears to rest.

When i made my appointment to see Dr. Aranow i wasn't totally convinced that i wanted this surgery. After my consultation my mind was definately made up!!!!! Dr. Aranow is completely confident and makes you feel the same way. My initial appt. was in mid Sept. and i had open RNY on Nov. 16th. Lois was a great help in getting everything i needed for insurance approval. She is absolutely fabulous!!! I can't say enough about her. Surgery went great, i was done in 1 1/2 hours, in the hospital for 3 days and back to work in 2 weeks!! the pain was minimal, only needed pain meds for 2 days after i came home. The binder that i wore after surgery definately helped keep the pain to a minimum. I also feel that the support group meetings that are set up for every 2 weeks are a great help. It's nice to be in the same room with a bunch of people that know exactly how you feel. i enjoy exchanging ideas with the other post-op people and doing whatever i can to make the pre-op people feel at ease. Another thing that i thought was great was the fact that Dr. Aranow insists that if you have ANY questions what-so-ever after surgery, he wants you to call him. He definately doesn't make you feel like your question is putting him out in any way. My opinion of Dr. Aranow is that he is a GREAT surgeon who is very competent and cares about each and every one of his patients.

My first impression of Dr Aranow is that he is very informative and that he really takes the time out for his patients. I felt very comfortable for the whole consultation. I left there with a feeling of releif and joy. I was not able to meet Lois because she was with another patient but she was very nice on the phone yesterday when we spoke. I think that one of the things that future patient should know is that he tells it as it is (which is a good thing)! He stresses very strongly in aftercare. He would rather you contact him and let him decide if it is related to the surgery or not. He was very informative of the risk and I understood him. Yes, he has a support group that is very beneficial to both post-op and pre-op patients. They meet every 2 weeks. They are also working on other aftercare programs, but I can't tell you just what right now. So far I would rate my consultation as great.

I loved him!!!! I got to my appointment early, but didn't seem to have to wait to long. Dr. Aranow went through each step very carefully making sure I understood the procedure and any complications that could accure. He told me not to worry about the insurance that he would help take care of that ( which took a big weight off my shoulders ) I really feel like I've been given hope. Hope that I will not fail again. That this is permanent life change that you don't go through alone.

Everyone in the office so far has been great, I already had to call Louise today and I felt terrible, but she said no problem and helped me out.

I honestly can't say there was anything about Dr. Aranow or his staff that I did not like. I was really made to feel like I was important and this wasn't just get her in and get the money kind of operation.

He was very specific in regards to every aspect of the procedure what I would eat, how I would feel, recovery and the dangers I could face. He made it all very real but at the same time I was still very at ease because he was very confident.

I would rate Dr. Aranow and his staff a 10 at this point.

He is fabulous!! Has a wonderful understanding of being obese. I must say he is very thorough and believes that the surgery must be done only if you are doing it for the right reasons. Unlike Dr. Barba, he requires a 4 hour psch test. He also requires a sleep study and nutrionist consultations. I found him pleasant and knowledgable. He strongly believes in support groups, one for all surgery patients and one on one therapy for those with serious eating disorders. He has these programs free of charge for his patients. My daughter had the surgery done by Dr. Barba and he too has support groups, but I don't feel that he believes in them as strongly as Dr. Aranow. Aftercare is very important to Dr. Aranow. Dr. Aranow performed these surgeries in Boston on pretty much a daily basis. He is very educated on this type of surgery and has the most recent up to date information. I would rate him a 10 on a scale of 1-10. I will have to wait for the last question as I have no clue what the answer is until I have the surgery. I have finished all testing as of 11/10/01 and will find out when surgery is scheduled hopefully by the end of this week. I will keep everyone posted.

My first impression of Dr. Aranow was, 'wow' he is really young! I hope he knows what he is doing, was my second thought. I was on a 6 month waiting list for a Hartford and a New Haven doctor. It would be an additional 3 months to get into see the doctors. I didn't want to wait that long. I had thought about the surgery for over a year and when I made my mind up, I wanted to get it done as soon as possible. My fears of Dr. Aranow being fairly new to this surgery were put to rest when I read his diplomas on the wall and spoke with him. During my visit, he put me at ease immediately. He is very down to earth. He spent so much time talking to me, explaining everything, listening to me and being extremely supportive, I was convinced he was the right doctor for me. I felt like I could have stayed in that office indefinitely - he never seemed to rush me. It was very comforting. His office staff consists of one main contact - Lois. She was very helpful, kind and so supportive. Dr. A. places a great deal of emphasis on after care and in particular, counseling and seeing the dietician, Amy. There are support meetings at Middlesex hospital every two weeks. They are great, fun and very informative. It is so nice to speak to others 'in the same boat'! Dr. Aranow explained the risks very clearly. So clearly, that he almost scared me away. He visited me in the hospital every day and was very concerned about me and my health. I had one problem at about 6 weeks post-op when a piece of chicken got stuck. I was pretty scared. I put a call into his office. Lois got him on the line and he explained the problem and told me it might take quite awhile to pass. His calmness was reassuring, however, he did say if it lasted into the evening, call back and he would meet me at the hospital. It did finally pass. The next morning at 8:30, Lois called to see how I was doing. Later that morning, Dr. Aranow called. I was so impressed with their degree of concern, that it blew me away! That really sums up the doctor and his staff. I am trying to think of some negatives, but am having trouble. I guess the 'order' to wear those support stockings after leaving the hospital was ridiculous. I was convinced he had no knowledge of women and pantyhose!! It was like squeezing a 300lb woman into pantyhose made for a 120lb woman. All you ladies know what I am saying!! Maybe he has since found some bigger (or wider) ones by know!! I would rate him as highly skilled. My incision looks great and my brother-in-law is an orthopedic surgeon and he even complimented his work!! I feel like I know him on a personal level, as he spoke fondly of his wife and children, talked about his training and was just open about everything. I would highly recommend him. I am so glad I did not go to the Hartford or New Haven doctors I contacted. Call him today - you will not regret it!

They cancelled my surgery 10 days before my surgery date. Dr Barba is NOT allowed to do patients over a certain BMI, the hospital won't let him!!!
I had from 1/1-1/22 (approx 20 days) to lose 41 lbs, Ive been trying and I/m only down ten. I an frustrated and VERY disapointed. I'm looking for another Dr.

I admittedly was scared and nervous about meeting my surgeon. He is an hour from my home and I know little if anything of the area he is located in. I had received his name from my gastro doctor after discussing my concerns with him. I came home that same day and called the surgeon. His assistant Lois is God sent. She sat on the phone with me for 20+ minutes as I cried about my troubles. I was a wreck and she listened to me without judging me. She never once made me feel like a failure like others have done in the past. I knew immediately this was the right place for me.

When meeting the doctor for my first visit I was blown away by his compassion. I know he has hundreds of patients but he made me feel like I was the only one. That meant a lot to me. He also made sure to lay things out in black and white. He did not downplay the risks involved or the possible complications. He made sure I understood thoroughly the hard work and upwards battle I am about to fight. He also let me know that this is MY choice. There was no pressure what so ever.

From what I have seen and experienced so far, this is the right place for me.

I guess though to make sure that I am for real I should include the negative aspects of my visit. The directions to the office were not well planned. I got lost. Then again, I have a horrible sense of direction to start. Plus I had to wait over 35 minutes for my visit to begin. The doctor was running late from the hospital and also was on the phone for a lengthy time once he arrived in his office. These however are only a small sacrifice for what may come.

I originally had a different doctor who was unable to do my surgery. (Dr Barba- I was told the hospital would not allow him to do surgery on any patient over a BMI of 55-too many complications)
I switched to Dr Arranow and he was great to speak with. He explained everything in great detail
and took plenty of time with me (over an hour) I feel VERY comfortable with him and I'm excited (and scared) about my surgery.
His office staff was very professional and pleasant.

I can't begin to describe how pleased I am with Dr. Aranow! I was very emotional and I think I must have gone through 2 boxes of Kleenex but he remained incredibly patient and understanding. I first heard of him through a friend and then saw he was listed in Connecticut Magazine as one of the best doctors in the state. I can't wait for my surgery but I still need to go through the dietary/psychology evaluation and sleep testing because of my sleep apnea. His program seems very well structured both pre and postop. I'm so glad I found him and would recommend him whole-heartedly to anybody!