Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeons of Morris, LLC Bariatric Center

My first impression of Dr. Abkin was he was all business. However, as time went on, I found him to be most personable and caring. It is important to know, if one is looking for the BEST surgeon there is available in New Jersey, Dr. Abkin is the surgeon for you. I also must add, that I did have occasion to meet with doctor Bertha while I was in the hospital after my surgery. I must say, I never expected such a kind and caring doctor, especially, since we had never met me before that moment.rnrnI have very much hesitated to write this review because I want absolutely no one to be discourage about seeing doctor's Abkin and Bertha. I will stress once again there are NO better surgeons for this type of surgery you will find in the state of New Jersey. Do your homework.........check out their stats for yourself. I would highly recommend them and trust them with my own children. rnrn However, I must be truthful. The office staff I found to be young and many very inexperienced and extremely unprofessional with handling people. The office manager, I do not want to name, however her name begins with the letter (J), was so rude to me I almost ended up not having my surgery . She was not only rude, insensitive, she absolutely lacked even the least bit of caring or concern..... she was cold and downright mean and nasty. ( At one point she told me if I didn't like her answers I should go elsewhere). I didn't want to make any waves, I just wanted my surgery and she most surely made it an uphill battle. It was a true nightmare and all I wanted was to get well. It's difficult or let me reword that..........nearly impossible to beat me down, but this office staff just about did. rnrnI did get to a point where I stopped \"pushing\" to get my case going and so did they...since I never got a call. It was exhausting, you had to keep calling and calling and begging and pleading...... I was done......finished.....It wasn't until my husband picked up the pieces and help me get back on the right track to get my surgery off the ground. Which meant to call and call and call and push and push and pull. OMG! I don't think I would do it again.rnrnAt this point I also need to let people understand that I, for 6 years worked in a hospital and for most of that time I was a patient advocate. So, please, understand, that I know of what I speak.rnrnrnThe insurance hassles....... and ONLY because of the office......I was in close contact with my insurance company the entire time (which the doctor's staff was unaware of), and they were extremely supportive of the surgery. I was by told by the office that my claim was submitted and it was not. I was told it was declined and requested more information and it was not. I kept the recording from the insurance company on my phone.....they called me the DAY they finally REALLY rec'd my submission and approved it and left the approval number on my machine.The office staff just continued.....(even though I already rec'd the approval which they were unaware I knew about), tossed me around and around and AROUND with respect to getting my approval by this young inexperienced staff. And, while I'm aware everyone likes to blame the insurance companies..... in this case I KNOW it was not so. I really never wanted to ever go back to that office after the surgery because of the way they treated me. My PCP encouraged me not blame the doctors and that to continue my post op follow ups which I have done.rnrnHowever, all is NOT lost.....if you are lucky enough to have Nino as your nurse, he is the saving grace of that entire staff. The other nurses I found to harsh, uncaring and highly insensitive. I found the nursing staff other than Nino, where not only NOT helpful but never fully address any of my concerns.......I had to get most of my answers from obestity.com..certainly NOT from any of the nursing staff..(unless I was fortunate enough to get Nino on the phone). rnrnI also found little to NO aftercare programs via the office, ABSOLUTELY NO........ support system.......absolutely nothing available to me. And if I called I seemed like a bother.rn ...............I don't call anymore. I would rate the office staff -10. That is MINUS 10.rnrnWould I have the surgery again. YES......but would I go through what this office staff but me through.........I think not.rnrnIt's only when I actually have an appointment and physcially see the doctor that I get any sence of well being or \"aftercare\". The doctor's are patient and wonderful. I have only had those terrible experiences with the office staff and NEVER EVER with the doctors. The doctors i would rate +10. that is a PLUS 10.rnrnI am also very fortunate because my insurance company calls me monthly to check up and see how I'm doing and if I have any questions....re: diet or any general concerns. They are and have been the ONLY ones other than face to face with the doctor's themselves that have shown any concern or caring. rnrnrn

My first impression of Dr. Abkin was positive. He and his staff were very professional and friendly. Future patients of Dr. Abkin should know that he is straight forward and has a very knowledgable staff. The before and aftercare programs are very important. You must take it very seriously so as not to add any risk to your health. Overall rating on Dr. Abkin and office would be an 8.5 this is a high grade with always knowing they need to keep up with the changing times and room for improvement. Surgical competence is very important, but if a Dr has no bedside manner it is not easy to put your life in their hands.

My first impression of Dr. Abkin was quite favorable. He must do hundreds of orientation sessions, but he was fully involved and very patient with questions. One on one, he is very good at explaining the process and very knowledgable, even for obscure questions. rnrnHis office staff is very competent and responsive. I've been particularly impressed by the insurance person, Karla.rnrnThe surgery process and aftercare are very well thought out. All bases are covered in a format that is easy to follow and very supportive.rnrnTo me, surgical competence is paramount and Dr. Abkin certainly has that. As an added bonus, his personality and style are also top notch. On a scale of 1-10, I'm thinking Dr. Abkin is an easy 10.

On January 10th 2008 I had the absolute pleasure of meeting my surgeon Dr. Abkin at a weight loss seminar hosted at St.Peter's University in New Brunswick, NJ. After the seminar Dr. Abkin took the time to meet with myself and my mom and briefly discuss my concerns and questions about weight loss surgery. After meeting Dr.Abkin and his staff, I knew this is where i belonged. Dr. Abkin and his staff are truly angels. The staff are not only friendly and accommodating but they are truly interested and concerned with your well being as a patient. Dr. Abkin, along with his staff take the time to make sure that every care and concern are addressed and that you are 100% ready for not only your weight loss surgery, but your life long journey. On May 12th 2008 I went in for my surgery without a care in the world. I knew that I was in safe hands. I walked into the OR and saw Dr. Abkin and was ready to roll! I knew that everything was going to go smoothly, and it did! After surgery Dr.Abkin checks on you to make sure you are comfortable and okay. He came in to check on me every day I was in the hospital and on discharge day was there to wish me well and let me know that I did awesome and would continue to do so. Dr.Abkin and his staff make you feel at ease and keep encouraging you throughout your journey. I can not thank Dr.Abkin along with his staff for helping me make and fulfill this life changing difference.

I don't even know where to begin... Dr. Abkin is amazing! I had my surgery about 15 months ago. I remember when I first met Dr. Abkin- he was so charming and calm. He immediatly put me at ease. And, even though that office is always packed with patients and, you sometimes have to wait a while, when he comes to see you, he takes his time and answers every single question you may have. He doesn't rush you; explains everything in detail. He helped me see that I could go further than I thought with this surgery (Lap Band). When I felt discouraged he helped me see that it's ok to fall once in a while, as long as we continue moving forward. Dr. Abkin helps you find the solution to your weight problem if you've hit a wall so you can continue losing weight. I can't even begin to say how wonderful I think he is... TRULY! I would recommend (without reservations) Dr. Abkin to anyone wanting to have Lap Band surgery!!!

Dr. Abkin has a smile that lights up a room. When he looks at you, you feel that he is totally concentrating on you and how you feel. He was absolutely wonderful answering all my questions before surgery. In the OR, he was kind and compassionate and took time with me. He knew I was nervous and was very reassuring. After the surgery, he visited me daily and really listened to what I had to say. And he also reacted to my needs. Being a nurse myself, I know many surgeons have a poor bedside manner. Not Dr. Abkin....he has a GREAT bedside manner and really makes you feel like you are the only person in the world and takes all the time you need. Nothing is rushed. You really feel like he is there for you.rnrnYes, Dr. Abkin stresses a structured aftercare program. Before surgery, you had to attend a class on the program to make sure you understood what was expected of you and what the plans were. They were very thorough and you knew exactly what to expect. I felt very prepared for surgery.rnrnThe risks of surgery was addressed several times very thoroughly and bluntly. Dr. Abkin's nurse practitioner was very blunt and went over everthing that could possibly go wrong. She sited complications that happened in the past and why they did. She was very good. Dr. Abkin reiterated them all also. rnrnAs for my incisions, the are healing nicely with no skin infections. He even took time to try to use previous scars as sites to minimize scaring. Very caring professional.rnrnI would rate Dr. Abkin 10 out of 10. I have already recommended him to others. His bedside manner and surgical competence are great.

I felt Dr.Abkin was very respectful, all around great Dr. Dr. Abkin really listens to what the patient has to say andexplains evrything to you not just once but over again if needed. Dr. Abkins office staff also are wonerful people.I really dont have anything bad to say about Dr. Abkin. Patients will really enjoy Dr. Abkin becuse as i said he explains the surgery you are having right down to the diet and never left anything out that was going to not happen,also answers all questions you have spends time with you doesnt rush you out of his office. Dr. Abkin cant emphasize enough of the aftercare you need to follow. He addressed the risks of surgery at first visist and just before surgey. I rate Dr.Abkin if the numbers where 1 being bad and 10 being exellent then 10 it is.

1. awsome guy easy going willing to help with anything.rn2. impression never changed still same thoughts.rn3.same as him willing to go way out of there way to make you happy.rn4.----rn5.speak your mind infront of him tell him all your worrys and problems due to your obesity.rn6. alot rn8.said it was very risky but thats with any surgery your going to have but the outcome was awsome.rn9. a 10 a+++++++rn

I first met Dr. Abkin at the seminar my friend and I went to pre-consult. It was there that we learned all about the surgery, including the pros and cons. His staff was amazing - very polite and very thorough. After the seminar, we made our appointment, and that was the next time I saw Dr. Abkin. I fell in love with his manner, and professionalism. He has a great sense of humor, that really makes it easier when you're in pain, in the hospital. If my impression has changed over time, it is only for the better. While sometimes it is hard to get a hold of his office staff as they are extremely busy, they do get back to you as soon as they can. Prior to surgery, they hold a three hour \"class\" that covers all of the basics, including aftercare, diet, consent forms, etc. Overall, I would rate Dr. Abkin a 10 on a scale of 10.

I could not have chosen better! Dr Abkin is friendly, caring and confident. Because of the skill of Drs Abkin and Bertha my surgery is without any complication...because of my hard work it is a success! Their expertice in the OR coupled with the staff's respectful and thorough patient care have been gifts.