Alex Gandsas Bariatric Surgeon MD, MBA, FACS

Dr. Gandsas and his entire staff are unbelievable. They are very good at what they do and they are very supportive. My impression has gotten stronger over time. Sinai Hospital of Baltimore's program is very thorough and the support meeting for post-op are very helpful.

Dr. Gandsas and his staff were very upfront about the risks of surgery. Their website of lifebridgehealth.org is also very helpful. I would highly recommend him and his entire staff to anyone.

I think it is important to have surgical competence and bedside manner. Although it is rare to see a great surgeon have a good bedside manner, Dr. Gandsas does have both.

He is a wonderful doctor, he really took the time to expalin the pro's and con's, possible complications and general information.He is very patient and kind and works well with keeping your families informed as well, especially during sx. My impression is till wonderful, I really coulnd't have picked a better surgeon or his office staff. Office staff is wonderful alwasy there when you need them no mattter the time or day, very caring and compassionate. No dislikes at all. He expects you to come to at least three meetings before sx, I attend 6 for my own understanding, as well as my family, He expects you to be ready to work, it is not a pices of cake it is work and exercise. He consdiers us married for life as far as aftercare and if he moves it is our responsibility to seek another doctor. They have a very structured aftercare program, you work one on one with a nurse and Dietician. Multiple meeting dicussed the risks as well as one on one with pre-op paperwork. I rate him on a sclae of 1 to 10, a 10+++. Both are great, he has wonderful beside manners which is hard to come by these days, and he is an advanced laparscopic surgeon. The only thing I wish was different was a chat room for post op patients of his so we can talk and help each other out. It is often hard to attend the post-op meeting b/c of my work schedule, I am in the medical field as well and the schedule is all over the place. Also, I would like to see it easier to get in touch with the nurse or Dietician, I understand they are busy but sometimes my small questions to them is a crisis mode for me. All else is wonderful and would highly recommend him to anyone considering the sx.

Dr. Gandsas performed laparoscopic bariatric surgery on me in mid-July 2004 at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. I have lost over 100-pounds as of December 2004. I experienced none of the problems that are sometimes associated with bariatric surgery. I attribute my success to Dr. Gandsas, his staff, and the outstanding care I received at Sinai Hospital.

I have been able to successfully diet and lose weight all my life. However, I eventually gained the weight back, plus more. Out of desperation—and some fear, I decided to research bariatric surgery as a weight control option. I began researching doctors and hospitals. I looked first at some of the “centers” that do nothing but bariatric surgery and quickly decided against them. I then researched my options in the Baltimore area. After considerable time, my Internet research led me to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, where I learned of Dr. Gandsas’ bariatric program. I called and talked to Eileen, Dr. Gandsas’ office manager and wonderfully pleasant and nice lady. She told me that Dr. Gandsas required prospective patients to attend three support group meetings prior to being a candidate of surgery and invited me to the next monthly support group meeting. At the first support group meeting, we heard testimonials from patients whom Dr. Gandsas had performed the surgery on and a specialist discussing the some of the testing procedures required before the surgery. I decided at the first support group meeting that I wanted Dr. Gandsas and his Sinai team to perform the surgery. I have never regretted that decision for one second.

Leading up to the surgery, Dr. Gandsas’ staff got all my insurance approvals. I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield and they covered almost all of the costs for the tests, surgery, and hospital. All I had to do was to take a series of tests so Dr. Gandsas knew I could mentally and physically tolerate the surgery. I did all the tests at Sinai, where I had nothing other than great experiences with their doctors and hospital staff. Before the surgery, I knew more about my health than at any other time in my life. I was thrilled when Dr. Gandsas gave me a surgery date. Upon entering the hospital, staff members treated me as if I were a member of their family. They carefully moved me through the process, caring for my every need, including the needs of my family members. The hospital has special wheelchairs, beds, and chairs designed to accommodate big people. The hospital nurses were superb.

I entered the hospital before noon for afternoon surgery. I came out of surgery about 7:30pm. I began walking the halls the next morning at 8:00am and walked most of the day. Dr. Gandsas discharged from the hospital immediately after he saw me early the following morning. I had minimal pain for only a few hours after the surgery. I returned to work two weeks after the surgery, but could have gone back after the first week. I consumed only water and ice for ten days after the surgery. I have never gotten hungry after the surgery. I have to watch what I eat because I fill up quickly. I have lost cravings for pastries, candies, and coffee, but I can eat most any foods I want. I have found that exercise is extremely important to weight loss.

Dr. Gandsas and his staff are family to me. If I have any questions or concerns, they are only a phone call or email away. Under the same circumstances, I would do it all over again. I have nothing but the highest praises for Dr. Gandsas, his staff, and the Sinai Hospital Bariatric Program. I strongly urge anyone considering bariatric surgery to attend Dr. Gandsas support group meetings at Sinai Hospital the first Monday of each month. Dr. Gandsas, other doctors who assist him in the tests and surgery, and patients like me who have experienced the surgery, are all available to answer any questions honestly and directly about their personal experiences going through the bariatric surgery process. The meetings informal and are usually less than two hours. There is absolutely no pressure or follow-up phone calls—unless you ask for them.

I was very impressed on how knowledgeable friendly and upfront Dr Gandsas was from the very beginning. His staff was always there to answer any question i had for them. They treated me like family. Now that I am in post op., Dr Gandsas is still easily accessable to help with any problem or questions I might have. Rating scales of 1 to 10 does not properly evaluate Dr Gandsas
skills or demeanor. Adjectives such as excellent and TOP IN HIS FIELD better describe his abilites and bedside manner.

He was wonderful, informative and very knowledgable.


It hasn't he has continued to impress with his concern for patients.

Friendly, understanding and comforting.

His business is growing and the wait time in the office has grown.
He is very thorough before approving the surgery to make sure the patient is in the best health.
A lot of emphasis, he will send a certified letter to your home if you miss an appointment. He says your are married to the your surgeon for life.
He explained thoroughly in the firs appointment and also during support group meetings.
I would rate him a 20 on a scale of 1-10 he is the best I have met, and I met with several surgeons before selecting him.

Both great!!

Words cannot adequately express the gratitude and appreciation I have for my doctor, Dr. Alex Gandsas, his assistant Dr. Christina Li and their team! I had Roux-en-Y surgery on 12/9/04 at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. From the beginning, I was impressed with Dr. Gandsas' caring, but straight-forward manner in describing all the particulars of Roux-en-Y surgery as well as any possible complications. This gave me more confidence in making my decision to proceed with the surgery. An example of Dr. Gandsas' thoroughness was when having to remove my gallbladder prior to scheduling my bariatric surgery, he discovered that I had severe scar tissue in my stomach area following a surgery from long ago. Dr. Gandsas put up pictures of my scarring in his office to better study it prior to surgery so that when that time came, things would go as smoothly as possible. As it turns out, things were tough, but worked out well during surgery. I'm sure this had much to do with his making sure that he was well prepared in advance. And what to say about the wonderful office staff? Karen, nurse; if you "need it done", Karen is the one! Sweet Eileen and Paula, office administrators, keep you on track with all of your appointments and procedures and beautiful Nancy, nutrtionist; who is not only knowledgeable, but compassionate and understanding. Coming into the office is a pleasure. I really don't have anything but good to say about my doctor and his staff. I would recommend Dr. Gandsas to anyone interested in undertaking gastric bypass surgery.

Dr. Gandsas is a wonderful surgeon. He took so much time before surgery to explain the procedures, the risks, and was in no hurry. He really cares for his patients and he wants them to do well. My surgery went very well and I attribute it to his excellence in performing the procedure. He has a great team,from his receptionist,nurse,office manager, and dietician. They always make you feel special. A few days after I left the hospital they called me to make sure everything was OK. Dr. Gandsas and his team get an A+ from me.

Dr. Gandsas is a wonderful man. He is very informative and cares about his patients. The whole staff is helpful and caring. You leave there with a smile becuse you know they care and want the best for you. The first time I met with Dr. Gandsas I had a date. I was amazed. I figured it was going to be a long drawn out process but it wasnt!! He has great support group meetings which his whole staff attends. I was very nervous about the surgery but Dr. Gandsas talks abotu the whole whole procedure with you and answers any questions. I just had my surgery a week ago and I feel great!! Dr. Gandsas visits you several times in the hospital and makes sure you are safe and cared for. He also has great after care. He wants to know you are safe after the surgery. I am so happy that I found Dr. Gandsas and his staff. I only have positive things to say about them and I reccommend him for anyone having this surgery. YOU WOULD BE IN GOOD HANDS IF HE WAS YOUR SURGEON!!

This was the best thing I ever did for myself. I had a little rough start, but now I feel a lot better. I look forward to feeling healthy and looking good.

As for my surgeon, Dr. Gandsas is excellent and very caring. It also helps that he looks like Antonio Bandares. He has great bedside manner and a nice smile.

The office staff are wonderful too. Everyone from the first phone call to the post-op appt. All the staff is helpful, caring, and a pleasure to communicate with on a weekly/monthly basis.

All my questions have been answered and my concerns have been helped.

I look forward to being a life long patient and look out world when this weight is gone. Corby will be on the loose again.

My first impression of him was that he knew what he was talking about, that he care
about his pts.My impression got better and better of him.they are a great staff, they know what they are doing.I like everthing about him.I would like future patients to know that he is the best and care about his patients.He emphasizes aftercare just like he emphasizes on the befor care. The aftercare you must do what he said to get the right results.Yes he has a very structured aftercare program. I know others who has had this done by other doctor and they program is no where near as structured as DR. Gandsas. I think he is the best. He told me about the risk me and my huband. He realy wanted me to have the band surgery done because I have Sickle Cell.I wanted the other one so he called arould to the doctor that he work with and talkabout my case to make sure he was doing the right thing for me. Now he did not have to do that he could have just said that he was going to do the band,but you see he care ahout hi patients.I would rate him overall wonderful.His surgical competence and his bedside manner are GREAT.