Alex Gandsas Bariatric Surgeon MD, MBA, FACS

My first impression of Dr. Gandsas was very professional, however his wonderful personality came through as he spoke, and I liked him instantly. Over time I started having even more respect for him, as he is very hard working and dedicated to his patients.
His office runs very smoothly and everyone works as a team. Dotsie, Karen, and Eileen have been very helpful and thorough. It is very obvious they know exactly what do do to help patients like us with insurance, employers, etc. Nancy (nutritionist) and Dr. Gandsas are a great team together. Nancy is VERY knowledgeable and very eager to help with any problems and questions that may come up.

I was very surprised and initially dissapointed when requested information about the RNY procedure. They told me it would be approximately three months until I got a response after sending my info. I was very anxious and wanted everything ASAP. I sent the packet back in July and I heard from the office in October. I was dissapointed in that waiting period but in retrospect it gave me time to really decide if this was right for me. As you can guess this has been alearning experience for me and has taught me that nothing comes easy, including this surgery.

Sinai and Dr. Gandsas have a very supportive structured aftercare program that consists of monthly support meetings and 1,3,6,9 and 12 month check ups. After a patients initial 1 year post op, you are expected to continue yearly exams.

I was very impressed with Dr. Gandsas openness about the serious risks and possible side effects etc of the RNY procedure.
After attending 3 of the seminars Sinai has monthy for patients, Dr. Gandsas and I set a date for 3/6/06.

The morning of Surgery I was prepped and Dr. Gandsas checked on me. Everyone was very thorough and I felt very comfortable going into surgery.

When I woke after surgery I was wheeled into one of the largest hospital rooms I have ever seen! My suite had 2 rooms, mine w/ a bed and chair and another attached room with an additional tv, couch and recliner. My nurses were VERY attentive and so nice! As a matter of fact everyone at the hospital was wonderful.
Dr. Gandsas came to check on me after surgery, as well as Martin, his assistant, and another woman, who's name I do not recall. Dr. Gandsas informed me that he would check on me via the robot, Barry, tonight. If you haven't encountered this before, Sinai's bariatric team has a robot that Dr. Gandsas can access from his home office to check on patients. He can beam in from home and use a remote control to come into your room. Unfortunately, the bariatric was having their floors refurbished so the robot can run smoother and "Barry" couldn't see me that night. I heard the nurses talking saying Dr. Gandsas called in on the robot to see me but the flooring installers said it wouldn't be a good idea to run the robot at this time. My husband did look out into the hall and saw Dr. Gandsas' face on Barry and thought it was very cool!

Dr. Gandsas came in the following morning to check on me and I had all of my necessary exams the following day to determine if I had any leaks (which I did not). Later that day approx 6pm Dr. Gandsas came to check my progress. He said I was doing very well and asked if I would like to go home. Of course I said SURE! I was discharged by about 7pm that night and in my own bed by 8:30.

I would rate Dr. Gandsas and his team a solid 10! Everyone works great together and Dr. Gandsas is an impeccable surgeon. One of Dr. Gandsas' qualities I particularly enjoy is his sense of humor. Although, as I stated before he is very professional, his humor does peek through on occasion. :)

I think he has excellent bedside manner and his surgical competence speaks for itself in his statistics. I live approximately 30 miles away from Sinai Hospital. I could have chosen a Surgeon 5 miles away from my home but I chose Dr. Gandsas based on his knowledge and expertise. I am very pleased with my decision!

My first impression of Dr. Gandsas was,a professional in every sense of the word and quite articulate. He assured me the procedure would be covered by the insurance ,which eliminated the stress.

My impression to a greater level of confidence in him. I was more relaxed. He made certain all the necessary test results were back,he checked each one to make certain that each one was a specific level in order to continue the process. He discussed the results with me before he scheduled the next appointment.

The office staff was great. Each person had a specific job.
They made the necessary appointments and followed up to make certain each step was followed to the letter.
The Nutritionist was an important link in this procedure,and I realized it. She was very patient, gave me receipes and suggested places to purchase the food items.
She also suggested I use the internet to obtain additional information. The Nutritionist is responsible for moving the patient form point A to point B within a certain time frame.
She made herself available at all times and answered all my questions. She was very encouraging, in addition to her other duties. She was responsibe for making certain that I taken the proper vitamins. Her directions for each step in the process was well written and organized.


Future patients should know,he is well informed and patient care and concern is a priority. He has excellent bed side manner.



After care is emphasized before and after surgery. After care is really important for the surgery to be successful. The Nutritionist made certain that I followed the food regiment and the fluid intake to prevent any dehydration, and vitamins to supplement my diet. She also taught me how to puree food. The program is very structured,and the follow-up appointments are highly emphasized.


Dr.Gandsas addressed the risk of surgery very
well. I was given a pamphlet to review at home. A return appointment was given to address all concerns involving the risk. The patient was required to sign the form stating she had read the pamphlet and understood each risk at the appointment. I was encourage to ask any and all questions reguarding the procedure.


I would rate Dr. Gandsas as a GREAT DOCTOR.
He explained everything,he made me feel comfortable when I asked a question and very pleasant to me and my family,and answered their questions as well.


One of the most unique features of his practice is the ROBOT. You did not feel deprived of not seeing the Doctor because he did visit by the way of the ROBOT. Technology allowed me to see Dr.Gandsas face to face. He asked several questions,read the chart,spoke with the nurse and she was given an opportunity to talk with him. He discused test results with me and assured me he would return later,which he did.
I was doing well. Dr. Gandsas came to visit me the same night of the surgery. He made
several visits during my stay. He was concern
with my care from the staff,asked if I had any pain.I did not have any pain or soreness.

The room was very clean and private. The medical staff was very accommodating. I was
discharged the day after the surgery,which was great.


Dr.Gandsas bedside manner and his surgical competence are both great.


The bedside manner plays and important role,because it helps a patient decide whether or not to continue with the Doctor and if he is willing to listen to the patient concerns,once the patient feels confident,then he/she will address the surgical skills. Dr.Gandsas skills are excellent,because I have not had any complications and the scaring is minimal.

In my opionion, Dr.Gandsas bedside manner and his surgical competence are excellent.

In my book he is #1.

03/16/2006 Let me being by saying that when I had finally decided to have this surgery, and found Sinai Hospitals website I did a lot of reading. I started to go to the group meetings. There I met Dr. Gandsas' associate Dr. Li. I never assumed that Dr. Gandsas would be able to do my surgery , especially as head of the department, so I decided that Dr. Li was right for me. When I was called for my appointment I was asked if I minded having Dr,. Gandsas as Dr. Li was on maternity leave. I said absolutly. Never would I believe that that was the most important and best decision in my entire life. Dr. Gandsas is a man who for the first time when I seen a Doctor did not make mee feel as if I was unimportant and not even there. On my very first visit( AND LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH i CAN'T STAND GOING TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE)HE PUT ME AT EASE. i NEVER FELT AWKARD, IMBARRASED OR LIKE HE DIDN'T REALLY CARE. (pardon the cap's - I'm not the best on computors). The first day I felt that he was gentle, and was very caring. He seems a little quiet, but once he examined me- and we joked about my saddle bags... I knew that this was a Doctor I could trust.His Staff was so helpful through all of the steps. No guessing, all is explained each step of the way. From you Nutrional visits, to the pre - op requirements, to the pre surgery and follow up. I could never have chosen a better or more caring and professional team.Dr Gandsas just saw me yesterday... it was exactly 6 dAYS SINCE MY SURGERY.... I am so very glad that Dr. Li was on leave and that I got Dr. Gandsas after all. He has been so careful to explain the steps before and the follow up care. I have a chart to remember my pills....and food, and so far things are going fine. I thank Dr. Gandsas and his entire staff for helping me start my new life!!!!!! Happy and healthy.

Dr. Gandsas is a very professional surgeon. He is to be commended for the work he does and the support he gives each and every patient. He is a thriver on getting the job done and in a very professional manner. Over time he gave me trust and self asteem in him and myself. The least I liked of him was his bedside manner. But there is a reason for that. And I would not want to see him change that for one minute. It works. And he needs to keep it up. Future patients can give there trust in him because he cares of each and every one of us. He makes a point to see that each one of us are cared for in the areas we need to be. Aftercare is alot of literature that the patient needs to digest. A a surgeon he cannot emphasize enough to read the literature and as a patient I emphasize to read the literature you are given and to follow it step by step. That is the best learning toll in this process. Yes they do have an aftercare structure. The risks of surgery are always given at each seminar they give and speak. It is a wonderful program they do have. I would rate Dr. Gandsas as one of the most exceptional surgeon's I have ever met. I would recommend him to anyone. I would probably rate him as both great.

Initially, I was a little reserved about having Dr. Gandsas perform my surgery. He hadn't performed as many surgeries as some other Drs. I had been told about. After attending about 4 information seminars and talking to some of his patients I was convinced that he was the right Dr. for me. Being a winner of the Award of Excellence was a plus, too. He addressed all the potential risks of WLS during the information seminars and during my initial consultation with him. His office staff works well together and was very informative and very helpful. He emphasizes aftercare and has a very structured aftercare program. I believe surgical competance and good bedside manner are both very important. Dr. Gandsas is great at both. I also want to mention that Dr. Gandsas has a robot "Beri". With the assistance of "Beri" the robot, Dr. Gandsas is able to check in on his patients from his home. Luckily, my 77 year old Mother-In-Law wasn't in the room when "Beri" came to visit me. I would still be trying to explain to her how Dr Gansas was able to see me and I could see him through the robot.

Dr Gandsas office is very organized. He approaches gastric bypass surgery very conservatively, with open conferences regarding the topic monthly, group support meetings monthly, nurtritional counseling and nursing support. When hospitalized he utilizes a robot that does rounds when he is not available, such as late at night. Dr. Gandsas's face appears in the screen of the face of the robot and he speaks with you as he does rounds with the nurse. Dr. Gandsas specializes in the laparoscopic approach to gastric bypass which had me out of the hospital in about 32 hours and feeling really good by the third day post op. I was sitting in church 11 days post op, no problems.

Dr. Gandsas and his staff (Karen, Eileen, Paula and Nancy) went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and answer any questions I had. Dr. Gandsas explained everything in detail. He was very warm and friendly. I felt like I had known him for years after the first visit.

Nancy was wonderful in explaining everything so I I knew what to expect from day one.

Karen and Eileen went out of their way to help me get everything done. To make sure I knew where to go and what I needed to take with me for the appointments.

I would recommend Dr. Gandsas and his staff to anyone considering bariatric surgery.

My first impression of Dr. Gandsas and everyone in his office was that they were extremely friendly. I was very nervous at first but they assured me that they would do all that they could to make this as easy as possible, and they did. Both before and after surgery Dr. Gandsas had excellent patient relations. He answered all of my questions and explained the surgery so that I could understand. During my recovery in the hospital he had "the robot" which is this robot that has a screen on the top and he is there via this robot. It was quite amazing. He could see and hear everything and because his face is there you almost feel that he is there with you. I had no complications so my recovery went quite well. All of the risks were expained to me in detail so I knew what to look for and what to expect. Over all I have no regrets and I am so thankful for Dr. Gandsas and his team....They are amazing!!!!!

My first appointment with Dr. Gandsas was in November, 2005, and my surgery was on January 5, 2006. My recovery has been a lot easier than I expected, and I believe that is because of the excellent preparation provided by Dr. Gandsas's staff, especially Nancy Lum. Her guidance with nutrition and vitamins has been superb. I also appreciate the amazing support of the rest of his staff, most especially Eileen. She made the insurance process painless for me and is so supportive of my progress. This is the best gift that I have ever given to myself, and to my children. I did a ton of research before deciding on Dr. Gandsas and his staff and would recommend his office to everyone that I meet. I have absolutely no regrets and look forward to my new healthy lifestyle.

My first meeting with Dr Gandsas was during one of his support groups. I knew then this is who I wanted my surgeon to be. He explained things in a manner that everyone would understand. I also noticed the manner in which he interacted with potential patients. My impression has only increased. His bedside mannner is great. Im sure he was in to see me at the hospital at least twice a day. either him in person or his robot. I only have positive things to say about him. The staff a Sinai Hospital Bariatric Division in Baltimore are the best. I would like to think them all........Pre-op visits emphased on risks, aftercare, diet and exercise. Dr Gandsas has a combination of surgical competence and bedside manner that what makes him a great Doctor. On a scale from one to 10, he would recieve a 10