JFK Medical Center Hospital

I was very impressed with Dr. Abkin at the seminar in September. Also, all my research indicated he has enormous experience and that was a huge factor for me too. When I finally met him on October 27, I was impressed with his candor, professionalism, wit and the ease he dealt with all my questions...and there were a lot of them. I am a pragmatic and sometimes blunt person, and appreciated the fact that he is too. I am comfortable as the clock ticks down to the last month before the surgery that he is the right person for the job! The office is VERY busy, although forced to wait a considerable time past my appointmet, the staff was friendly, and the Doc never made me feel rushed when it was my turn.

Dr. Abkin is a disarmingly compassionate young professional, with a discernible but charming Russian accent. I thought that my diabetes and cardiac arrythmia might throw him but he asked some very informed questions, especially about my Coumadin prescription and suggested bringing in my cardiologist to consult on a substitute drug for surgery. His office staff, especially at the top, is super -- including Office Mgr. Jospehine, who held my hand; and Surgical Coordinator, who hugged and kissed me -- and counselled me thru the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend (when everyone else was home). The only downside to a great organization like Dr. Abkin's is the inevitable bureacracy, which in my case meant not receiving a critically-timed message about pre-op consultation (but which the staff quickly rectified). Dr. Abkin's surgical proficiency and his after-care program is what sets him apart in both my referring internist's mind and now in mine. On the day he discharged me, he asked which protein supplement shake I would be drinking during this first week of my liquid diet. His staff constantly reminds me of the risks of not complying with nutritional supplements; they take after-care as seriously as the surgery itself.
Dr. Abkin and staff are superior!

Excellent surgeon and staff. Always professional and friendly, and very responsive.

Their structured pre-op program had me very prepared for surgery.

My first impression was "Young", but then most of my doctors are getting younger:) As we spoke, I found him to be very competent and confident of his skills, which made me very comfortable. He is very personable and has a sense of humor, which puts me at ease. He is also high energy.

The office staff is very thorough and also very nice. One of the staff (or maybe more) had the surgery and is just such an inspiration.

The doctor stressed the need for post-op visits to check blood levels and progress. There is a very good aftercare structure, which is all laid out beforehand through the dietitian. While Dr. Abkin did address surgical risks, I liked the fact that he was upbeat and accentuated the positive.

Upon meeting Dr. Abkin again for my pre-op visit, I was again impressed by his kindness, knowledge and sense of humor. He answered all my questions to my satisfaction, and gave me an overall sense of confidence in his abilities.

As to his surgical competence, I give him a 10+. I had lap roux-ny bypass surgery and it took all of 1 hour and 15 minutes. I would recommend him to anyone considering this procedure. I am thankful that I was lead to him.

I just met Dr Abkin at his office last week and while the appt. lasted only a few minutes, he seemed very nice. I had read good things about Dr Abkin on this website and met a few people who had him as their surgeon and highly recommended him.

His office staffed seemed very nice, but it was very obvious that they were quite busy (probably a good sign--who wants to go to a doctor who doesn't have any other patients?)

I would have to say that, what I liked the least about Dr Abkin (since the question was included) was that he dismissed one of the questions I asked. I asked if I could be scheduled for his first surgery of the day as I read on websites that it's a good idea. He said it would be if the surgeon was a morning person though never indicated if he was or wasn't after I asked.

Aftercare was not really addressed at my initial meeting with Dr Abkin, but it was discussed in great detail at Partnership for Weight Control (an office you must go to prior to getting an appt with the doctor). It is likely that this was not discussed during my meeting with Dr. Abkin because he knows that all of his patients get all of the same information from Partnership for Weight Control.

I am not sure at this point if Dr Abkin has a structured aftercare program. I will be going back to his office 2 weeks prior to my surgery, so perhaps I will hear more about it then.

Dr Abkin did discuss the risks of the surgery with me. I asked if he had lost a patient and I appreciated his honesty in answering the question. He explained that he had lost a patient in the previous month. He also discussed the other potential complications with me.

I have only met him one time, so I can't really give an overall rating yet--plus I haven't had the surgery at this point so it is hard to say.

Even though I waited for a long time to get into see him, he was well worth it!! I already felt somewhat confortable because my friend had his surgery with him, but now I feel even better!! Dr. Abkin is kind, professional, and honest about everything involved with the procedure. Although I am nervous about the procedure, I feel very good about Dr. Abkin and his abilities. I trust him completely and look forward to thanking him with a thinner me soon!!

I had my consultation with Dr. Abkin this afternoon (1/24/03). All the paperwork I received for the appt listed his office as being in an Annex of Morristown Memorial Hospital, but when I got there I was told that my appt was at his private office, about 10 minutes away. Once I arrived at his office, I was very impressed to see that there was only a suite number identifying his door, instead of a big sign reading "OBESITY SURGERY" or something like that. Although there were only 3 other people in the waiting room, I had to wait an hour before I was finally called to see the doctor. The staff were all very nice, and Dr. Abkin is friendly (and cute!). He is very thorough in reviewing your information and what needs to be considered to make sure it is OK to proceed. It was also a great relief to learn that one of his staff, Maria, is there to submit all your documents to the insurance company and deal with any problems. She and Dr Abkin both answered all my questions. I left feeling very reassured and confident in my choice of programs.

I had the most wonderful surgeon. Actually I had 2 of the best, Drs abkin and Bertha. I mostly dealt with Dr. Bertha. He looks so young and professional, He was very nice and personable and easy to talk to. my impression stqyed the same, but I only gained more respect for him. The office staff were very pleasat and helpful. They are very involved int he after care, making sure you get the proper bloodwork done, stressing the importance of vitamins, which are essential. They encourage you to attend their support groups and make regularly scheduled follow up visits. I knew the risks of surgery before hand, but he wanted to be sure and made sure I was comfortable with everything first. I think both surgeons are fabulous...a 10 in my book
bed side manner and competence are both important

My FIRST IMPRESSION OF DR. ABKIN WAS HE SEEMS LIKE HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT HE WAS ABLE TO ANSWER ALL MY QUESTIONS AND HE WAS VERY PLEASANT.HIS OFFICE STAFF I THINK IS PRETTY GOOD AND VERY BUSY.I WOULD RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE.HE EXPLAINED ALL THE RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS IN A WAY THAT YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND.

First Impression was good..I already knew of him because he did my best friends surgery. When I did meet him face to face...he seemed to young...but once he starts talking that goes away (he still looks young, but knows EXACTLY what he's talking about.) His office is very busy...But I think that's par for the course when you are going to see any surgeon who is highly regarded in his or her field. His staff was fine. But beware, phone calls are either not returned, returned at odd hours, or returned several days after you leave the message. It can be frustrating, especially if your question or concern is important...but be persistant and keep calling. I know he is very busy and his staff is very busy so I just try to be understanding. He is very responsive to my questions and concerns. I even spent 5 minutes w/ him at one of the monthly meetings and asked some questions. He didn't seem bothered at all, he answered them and even offered more information Overall...I'm pleased so far!