JFK Medical Center Hospital

I first met Dr. Abkin at a weight loss surgery seminar on 6/24/10. I was very impressed by his knowledge, experience, and his personality. I made an appointment with him the next day. He was just as warm and friendly as he was at the seminar. He was very interested in my concerns and helped me make the decision to have gastric bypass surgery. He fully went over all risks and benefits and I felt confident in my decision once my meeting with him was over. I could tell from that first appointment that I made the right choice by picking him to do my surgery. The office staff is very nice and efficient, that same day I met with him, I also met with the scheduling department and left that day with a pre-op date, surgery date, post-op appointment date and a list of a few requirements I had to meet. Dr. Abkin was very reassuring when he saw me before I went into the operating room, I was very nervous as I had never had surgery. He was so kind to me and my husband before bringing me in. He checked on me each morning in the hospital with a smile on his face and encouraging words. The aftercare has been very good. I feel that Dr. Abkin genuinely cares about my success and health. He is a leader in his field and based on all my pre-surgery research and my amazing recovery, he is an extraordinary surgeon and his bedside manner is incredible. He is a very down to earth, caring doctor and I would recommend him (and have already) to anyone who is deciding to have weight loss surgery. I can't say enough positive things about Dr. Abkin and my experience with his staff and my whole surgery experience, pre- and post-, it's just been wonderful. Thank you Dr. Abkin!

My first impression of Dr. Abkin was that he was very professional, and very kind. He tempers his massive knowledge on the topic of WLS with an ease of understanding. He was supportive, yet encouraging of WLS in general.

I find his office staff to be knowledgable, though sometimes confused. They screwed up my post-op appointment not once, but twice. I have chalked that up to the new front-desk employee and just a matter of training. His office staff would never have swayed me from choosing him as my surgeon, even if they can be hard to work with. I also found it difficult to get a call back in a timely manner from the insurance department, but I made a nuisance of myself until my problems were solved.

Dr. Abkin has a wonderful bedside manner and is patient with questions both from family and from you as the patient. I went in with a list of questions at my first post-op appointment, and he answered them all gladly.

Overall I would highly recommend Dr. Abkin as your weight loss surgeon. My experience with him has been nothing but pleasurable.

Dr. Abkin, an angel from above. Dr. Abkin was my first choice in surgeons, as he operated on a friend of mine. Dr. Abkin and I also did a little interview for NBC news on August 2, 2010 on bariatric surgery being a cure for diabetes. During the short amount of times I spent with him, he answered any and all questions with truth and confidence. He explained from the first time you go to a seminar to the after care that is needed. He is superior in this field and I would recommend him to all.

Dr Abkin is a wonderful doctor. He is very knowledgeable, and friendly. His office staff is just the same. Instantly I felt very comfortable with both him and his staff, so I knew I had found the right doctor for my surgery. Still, I feel very comfortable with everyone. All my questions were always answered, my concerns were always addressed. Even at the hospital, with him I had an overwhelming sense of comfort. Overall, it was and still is a fantastic experience. I would recommend him to anyone.

I had a friend who had surgery five years before me and she used Dr. Abkin. He is very personable and caring. Dr. Abkin was very informative about the procedure includung the risks. The office is well organized which really minimized frustration. I would rate both surgical competence and bedside manner as great.

My husband had surgery with Dr. Abkin on August 2,2010. I couldn't have asked for a better surgeon to handle such a serious life change for us! We knew from the moment we heard him speak at the seminar that he was the doctor for us because his confidence and passion was immediately recognized. He is so down to earth, attentive, understanding, and caring! You can feel that he genuinely wants what is best for his patients. He made sure that we understood everything, was clear of what to expect, and we were well informed. The education programs (pre-op) classes that are given by his group are a great resource and very informational! It's comforting to know that they understand the importance of an informed patient.

I did have some issues with the office staff. It is difficult to get a straight answer from most of the staff members. Stephanie and Natalia were both great. Everything I needed I would call on Stephanie and she answered my questions even if it wasn't part of her job responsibility. I can't thank her enough for all of her help!

All in all, if you want a great surgeon with your best interest at heart.....See Dr. Abkin! My husband has had no problems, and he is doing great! The surgery could not have went better! Thank you for everything!

I met my surgeon at a Gastric Bypass Seminar. I was referred to him by my primary care physician and my cardiologist (he operated on my cardiologists daughter). Further research including talking to him and online research showed he had done thousands of Gastric Bypasses. His knowledge and experience impressed me. My successful surgery is proof. I was up and walking the night of the surgery. I was very pleased that the pain after surgery was minimal. The results show my confidence in him was deserved. His office staff, knew well how to deal with insurance companies (I hate them) and kept every stress free!

I highly recommend Dr. Abkin as would my wife and considering how much she dislikes doctors thats quite a reference.

Dr. Abkin is truly a gifted surgeon. He did my gastric bypass surgery through a single incision! Amazing! My surgery was done at St. Peter's University Hospital,in New Brunswick, NJ, where I received excellent care. Dr. Abkin is pleasant, easy to talk to, and clearly answers all of my questions. His knowledgeable staff guides you through the process and promptly addresses your concerns. I am happily losing weight and feeling well. I would highly recommend Dr. Abkin to anyone considering bariatric surgery. You will be in good hands!

I loved Dr Abkin from the moment I met him. He is so patient and warm and friendly. He made me feel totaly comfortable about the procedure. Just know that if you choose this dr he wil hold your hand from the first day you meet him. I just can't say enought about Dr. Abkin. I would rate him a perfect 10. He advised me of all the pros and cons about lap band he made me realize that this is a tool and that I need to also work on me in terms of weight loss.

I just LOVR Dr. ABKIN

Doctor Abkin does a great job. I was referred to him by my Sleep Apnea doctor (Dr.Benton). I attended one of Dr. Abkin's free monthly seminars to learn more about him and the different types of weight loss surgery available. I was happy to see the large chairs in his office. My first impression of Dr. Abkin was that he is compassionate, highly competent and easy to talk to. Bottom line is I think he is a very nice guy. Of course he is one of the top ranked surgeons in NJ but I wanted someone that I could feel comfortable turning my body over to. I have absolutely no regrets using Dr. Abkin.

His support staff were very helpful through the whole process. All the prerequisites to my surgery were explained and the insurance coordinator was invaluable

All risk associated with my surgery were fully explained. I took an online course describing everything that could happen. In addition the high level information was presented in both the free seminar and the pre-op class that I attended.

I have a structured aftercare diet program consisting of 4 phases (from clear liquids to my lifelong program). It takes about 4-6 weeks post surgery to get to phase 4.

Dr. Abkin is great for both competence and bedside manner. I am very thankful that he is my doctor. I would recommend him to anyone looking into weight loss surgery.