JFK Medical Center Hospital

My first impression of Dr. Abkin was he was a no nonsense person. He was honest and up front with the dos and donts of weight loss surgery. As I got to know Dr. Abkin I found him to be very interested in his patient and their success. I felt that Dr. Abkin and I were in this together and I wasn't alone. He is easy to speak to and has a nice sense of humor. He stresses after-care and going to the support groups. He is not only a very competent surgeon but a great person.rnrnHis office staff are courteous, frindly, and professional. Stephanie efficently makes appointment and goes out to make sure patients receive timely appointments. rnrnCarol is very direct and matter of fact, however, I am glad to have her on my side when it comes to getting any kind of medical insurance problems settled in a positive manner,

The first thing I want to say is, thank you God - and thank you Dr. Abkin. I finally got past the fear, and my gastric bypass was done on August 10, 2009. Dr. Abkin is a skilled and an amazing surgeon, very kind, and never rushing you through an office visit. In fact, I just got back from my post-op visit to get my stitches out. I am feeling physically and emotionally GREAT, and looking forward to the support group his office offers. I dont know why, but I thought there would be so many post-op side effects, such as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, tiredness. But, NOTHING. Of course, it helps when you follow the instructions! If it weren't for my knee problems, I swear I would be doing laps around the block. I just don't know how to thank him, he has saved my life and given me this opportunity for successful weight loss and a new lease on life.

I was 24 years old when I was told that I may not ever be able to have children if I don't lose weight. That was the last straw and I just had to make a change in my life. Before that I pretended that I didn't like roller coasters because I knew the seat belt wouldn't fit on me. I was just miserable and I was embarrassed to participate in activities that I loved because I didn't want people to judge me. I was just sick of being made fun of and I wanted to be able to jog down the beach with my friends and feel comfortable in a bathing suite while at the beach or pool. rnrnI had tried every diet I could find but it was a viscous cycle and anytime I lost weight I would end up gaining it again. rnrnDr. Abkin helped me through the whole process and he was patient with me while I asked him a million questions. He was great with my family and there right after my surgery. I would highly recommend him and his office to anyone considering weight loss surgery. rnrnI was 290lbs at my heaviest and now I'm 155lbs. I'm almost half the size that I was and I finally feel healthy and good about my self. I'm currently training to be in a triathlon and I love going to the beach and pool now and finally feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit. rnrnOf course it's more than just getting the surgery. I still log my food and am always on top of my vitamins. I exercise regularly and control my portions the way I was trained to do. rnrnTake a look at my before and after picture. rnrn-Jackiern

I met with Dr. Abkin for the first time in early August. He will be my surgeon. If you look in his eyes, I swear you can see a bit of heaven. The man is a gift from the gods. He is exactly where he is supposed to be on this earth, guiding people and \"fixing it\" , as surgeons do. My surgery date is January 27th. Approved after first letter to Oxford Ins. My surgery was a success, I have had no complications to date, other than my own head getting in the way on occasion. Dr. Abkin is an Angel. He makes you feel as tho your not on this journey alone. rnrnIt is now almost 6 months later and I am down 37lbs! I think the most amazing part of this journey is that I \"feel\" wonderful. Dr. Abkin has been there for me every step of the way, even when I have the silliest of questions or concerns.rnrnI'm going to continue on this journey.

Dr. Abkin is a wonderful surgeon. My first impression was \"here's a top-notch doctor\". rnDr. Abkin was my husband'surgeon for the lap-band procedure and he is a success story having lost 107 lbs. thus far. I, therefore, wanted only the best...Dr. Abkin.rnThere was a slight 'glitch' w/scheduling my appointments due to a very similar name to mine in their files & this was efficiently corrected. Jessica G. is an EXPERT on the subject of insurance and it was a pleasure working w/ her. The medical staff is highly educated, warm, sincerely caring. A+rnThere is nothing I dislike about Dr. Abkin!rnHis aftercare program is great and should definitely be followed for your own benefit.I have RA and one of the follow-up programs was a specifically designed exercise regimen I can handle @ home. Excellent! Bravo, Kingley Institute!rnBetween the seminar, the initial sessions w/ the staff, Dr. Abkin's own genuine concern...you will not be uninformed in any way! My husband and I rate Dr. Abkin at the highest possible score. His surgical competence, bedside manner and his dedication for helping his patients is clearly evident. I have HIGHLY recommended him to the people I care about with serious health conditions and obesity.

Let me first say that if you had mentioned Gastric By-pass surgery to me in late 2008, I would have laughed at you. I am a 48 year old male who was 311 lbs. and has had sugar diabetes for 18+ years.I went to a seminar at St. Peters hospital in January 2009. Dr. Abkin was there and spoke that night. I immediately knew this guy knew what he was talking about and he seemed like someone who would take a personal interest in each individual person. I was right on. I had gastric by-pass surgery on June 9,2009. There was a small complication and when I awoke he made me fully aware of the issue and assured me that if there were any further complications he had a plan to correct the issue. As of today, July 11,2009, I have not had any complications. No dumping, no throwing up, .......nothing. The weight is coming off and I feel like a new person. And guess what??? Absolutely no diabetic medicine since the day of surgery. Completely cured! During my followup visits Dr. Abkin always takes plenty of time to sit down and talk to you. He wants to know how you feel, how you are doing, and anything he can do for you. I would highly recommend Dr. Abkin and I feel you could not find a better surgeon.rnBlake FoshiernEast Windsor, NJ

I just wanted to thank Dr. Abkin and his entire office for everything they did for my sister. Thanks to the surgery she got a \"Tool\" that enabled her to get her health back. They are there for the whole process from helping you get approved for the surgery to going through it and they even offer support and help you through your weight loss journey. This is a great practice that is FULL SERVICE! They make you part of their family and treat you as family! Now we will have many more years to share with my sister! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Wow where to begin? Dr. Abkin is awesome. I knew when I was introduced to him at the New Patient Seminar I was going to love him. Then when I had my consult with him, I fell in love. He's direct and to the point with a little fun side. He answered all my questions, didn't rush me and added some humor as well.rnThe staff was wondeful, and a great extention of Dr. A. rnI'm completely confident that I'm in excellent hands with Dr. Abkin!!!

He's Amazing!rnrnJessica in the office handles business like it's for herself! I can't say enough about her.rnrnThe entire staff is amazing and the best around.

My first impression of Dr. Abkin was wonderful. I felt very comfortable with him and knew he was the surgeon for me.

I still feel very comfortable with him, but I am not as confident as I was before the surgery. My Realize Band surgery was October 20, 2008 and I've lost a total of 10 lbs. I've had my band tightened once and I am scheduled for another adjustment on April 20, 2009. I feel like the "taking it slow" method is not working for me. While I wanted the band tightened almost immediately, I could not get it tightened until the end of January (a little less than 3 months after the actual surgery).

As for his office staff, they are wonderful while you are in the office, but it is difficult to get an appointment because only one person can make appointments for adjustments and it took me 3 days to actual talk to her even though I was in the office and left several messages after I left the office.

I am still holding my overall opinion because I want to give this next adjustment a chance. I still feel comfortable with Dr. Abkin and I trust in the long run that his method of "taking it slow" will work out.