Joseph Afram Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

When I originally met Dr. A as I like to call him, I thought wow he has no beside manner what so ever. Yet that didn't make me stop going to him. I would rather have his expertise. I really loved how the obesity center is one stop shopping. They have a nutrionist, psychologist, personal training and plastic surgeon on staff. In addition, his front office staff is so helpful and friendly. He has weekly group session meetings with patients at various stages in the process. I have now grown attached to Dr. A and his staff and am looking forward to working with them for the remainder of my life. I love that the center is committed to helping you for life!

My first impression was that this guy knew his craft. He knew his own level of performance and his skill level. He is very knowledgeable about bariatric surgery and those who become bariatric patients. His staff are very friendly, the behavior modification of the program is thourough but not too confining. Aftercare program is structured, however is modified for the individual patients needs. overall I rate him a 10! He was awarded Americans top Sugeon for 2007.rnHe and his partner, Dr Philip are both very kind gregarious people. While they are busy doctors they both have time for a personal touch during visits. That was so important during my hospital stay, and I can't say enough about the staff at GWU.

In all honesty, I could not ask for a better surgeon. Dr. Afram was referred to me by a friend. He is very attentive and actually listens to what you have to say. I remember going in for my 1 week checkup. I thought I had pulled a muscle in my back from getting up and moving around differently. He insisted I have a CT scan of my chest. Good thing...I was one of the few unlucky people who developed not 1, but 2 pulmonary embolisms. He saved my life.rnrnHis staff is also wonderful. Everyone knows you by name and seem very interested in your progress. I actually seen two of the ladies that work in the office one day while walking down the street and they called out to me. That's something you don't find where I'm from.rnrnI recommend Dr. Afram to anyone who is considering weight loss surgery. I would only change 1 thing if I could...he needs to be closer. It is quite a drive to his office, but it's well worth it.

My first impression of Dr. Afram was that he is very competent and businesslike. A month after surgery, I still can say the same things about him. He definitely knows what he is doing and as far as he was concerned, the surgery and aftercare have really been going well. He is also very busy; sadly, you may feel rushed during your appointments because of this. Make a list of all of your questions before your appointment with him and that way you make sure to ask everything you want to ask; he will answer your questions thoroughly but poses very few questions of his own. Don't expect him to anticipate your questions; he will ask a few but you MUST ask him if you want to get the most from his knowledge. Also, if you have a problem (pain, nausea, etc.), be sure to tell him about it; he has helped me a great deal in this regard. As for his staff and aftercare program, both have been marvelous. I was approved for surgery without a hitch and his staff have taken care of everything for me (one-stop shopping at its finest!). The entire group treats you with respect, which is a far cry from other surgeons and staff that I have worked with in the past. Overall, I don't regret choosing him or his staff for this procedure and would certainly recommend them.

I was initially impressed with Dr. Afram. He's not much for conversation, he gets to the point and is very direct. His office staff is awesome. In particular \"Sally\" she is great. I know she has seen so many many transformations. She is very supportive and encouraging. Love you Sally, you're the best!!

Very pleasant from the moment I met him. His staff is great! I felt like they actually cared about me as a person not as another patient.

If you are easily influenced, think twice before attending an information session. Fantastic pre-surgery support. He will convince you that this is must have surgery in a flat minute and his staff are experts at getting insurance approval. His program sounds to good to be true. He seems to be a good surgeon and everyone is super nice but I don't consider the \"after care\" adequate. Lots of promises but I didn't receive any real after care support. My \"follow-up\" appointments consisted of being weighed and told I was doing great but problems were not addressed. He billed my insurance $200 for weighing me! I did't receive basic post-surgery care and had to turn to my PCP for support. The support group only addressed pre-surgery and first month issues. I understood that the surgery and followup care would cost me $1500, but that was only a deposit toward the surgery fee. I was billed for the balance after insurance paid. Any future diet or psyic issues cost extra. The Nutritional counseling pre-surgery consisted of reading a handout to a patients and family and answering questions for which my insurance was billed for 3 nutriional counseling sessions. Likewise my insurance was billed for indepth psy evaluation for a 20 min. session. Everytime I attended a \"support group\" meeting, my insurance was billed for group counseling. I was taken aside for making negative comments during the group session and attacked on his on-line support group for responding to a patient request for PCP recommendations for saying that one needed to consider seeking a PCP that could respond to WLS questions that weren't addressed by Dr. Afram or his staff.

First impression: Very knowledgable, pleasantrnrnImpression over time: He knows what he is doing. rnrnOffice/Staff: Excellent staff, very comfortablernrnLike the least about him: Didn't check my incision so it went thick and bumpy and didn't have me do bloodwork until almost a year after surgery, luckily it ended up being just fine. Doesn't ask alot of questions of you, you have to guess what is important to mention to him.rnrnFor future patients: You have to be a bit proactive with him. I had a very smooth journey, so I was lucky. Take your vitamins!!!!rnrnAftercare: Very emphasized, he sees you every month for a year, every 3 months the next, and then once a year for life. Provides access to nutritionist and trainer.rnrnDoes he address risks: absolutelyrnrnRate Overall: GreatrnrnSurgical competence/bedside manner or both: Surgical competence is off the charts. Bedside manner is good, not great. rnrnBottom line: Dr. Afram did a fantastic job. I have done wonderfully and have had absolutely no complications. I truely believe he saved my life.

I found Dr. Afram to be very thorough in his explanations. His office staff is very helpful and courteous, especially Sally.rnrnMy surgery is set for March 27th 2007.

thought he was informative---and was willing to answer questions from my husband=who was worried.His office staff-especially sally---who after 5years after my surgery--is still there---kind -understanding--friendly---no one will be disappointed with his office--so far one friend has had surgery too and one friend soon.