Alex Gandsas Bariatric Surgeon MD, MBA, FACS

Now that I a post-op, I wanted to update this section of my profile. rnrnMeeting a surgeon and having that surgeon actually perform surgery on you are two very different things.rnrnYou can NOT do better than Dr. Alex Gandsas. rnrnHe is dedicated to the details and trust me...it is the details that matter in this operation. He is business like, well mannered and direct. rnrnI have read some reviews of other surgeons where they do the surgery and then their associates are the only people you see the rest of the time.rnrnIn my case Dr. Gandsas was in my room shortly after I awoke to make sure everything was going well and answer any questions. rnrnNow the great part. rnrnDr. Gandsas (and the Sinai bariatric practice) have a robot named BARI that can make room visits. I was a little skeptical. But when Dr. Gandsas was called out of town the day after my surgery, he was still able to visit with me via the robot. He could see me and I could see him (once from his car and once from an office). He was able to acquire first hand information for himself without having to be there. rnrnOn the last visit I followed the robot as he went down the hall and then conferred with the on-call surgeon about my release. rnrnWhen Dr. Koppman came in for the release, he had all the information he needed and felt comfortable that Dr. Gandsas had actually seen me. rnrnI am so grateful that I found Dr. Gandsas and the Sinai Bariatric practice. The care was first rate, the experience was excellent. rnrn---------------------------------------------------rnrnrnrnrnI found Dr. Gandsas through a previous patient. I finally got to meet with him at the end of November. He is business like and well mannered. rnrnI will admit that I was slightly put off by the intial consult as it was almost completely centered around the insurance aspects. After having dealt with insurance for almost a year, I figured my first visit with the doctor would be about the medical aspects. I left my intial consult with very little new information and very confused about what I needed to do next.rnrnEileen then came to the rescue. I called the office the next day to try and figure out the next steps. I was put in touch with Eileen and finally got the answers I needed. After a 10 minute phone conversation, I not only had my answers but I also had someone that was interested in process I was about to go through and not just my insurance approval. rnrnIn the end, I want my surgeon to be a good surgeon. I am not that big on \"bed side manner\". But I need to be able to get some answers. I trust Dr. Gandsas to do his job well. But it is nice to have someone to get the answers from and a little support. rnrnHad it not been for Eileen's efforts, I would have switched Dr's. Not because of skill but becasue of the system. rnrnMy suggestion is that if you come away feeling odd about our consult or any other aspect with this program, give Eileen a call. Bear with her...she is very very busy, but the wait is worth it. rnrnDr. Gandsas has a great reputation and his skills are obvious in his patients. The practice staff is courteous but swamped. Eileen is excellent and works for the patients. rnrnEven with my initial reservations, I would strongly recommend this practice if you are looking for a surgeon.rnrn

Dr. Gandsas is a wonderful person and a great surgeon. My first introduction to him was at the bariatric seminar at Sinai Hospital.rnDuring the indirect meeting, I was impressed with his demeanor and genuine concern about individuals and their understanding of the surgery, surgery options and the process. His staff is equally personable and concerned for the individuals and their journey through the bariatric process. My impression has increased during the the initial contact and continues to develop. At this time, there are no negative impressions. Anyone interested in using this surgeon and his staff will in good hands. They are great department of and their is genuine care and concerns for all the clients. I strongly recommend this program to anyone interested in this procedure. The department is great with an excellent surgeon and staff with a great bedside manner and demeanor.

My first impression was very positive. I faxed my application was having a discussion with the secretary, Dr. Gandsas stepped in and helped me & started my surgury process with no problems. My impression of Dr. Gandsas improved. The office staff is unbelievable. I have never run across such a friendly group of people from the secretary to the nurse to the dietian. Unreal that everyone is so nice and caring. What I like least about him-nothing. Furture patients should know he is caring, somewhat quiet but very knowledgable and willing to go above & beyond the call of duty. Yes he has a structured aftercare program. After care is extremely important to Dr. Gandsas & Sinai Hospital, he encourages us to attend support groups, never miss any appointments and to ask questions when needed. We are encouraged to email or contact the staff any means necessary. Dr. Gandsas give the statics envolved with the surgury, inform you how many & what types of surgury he performed etc. Overall I would give him a 95 %(A) Both surigical & bedside manners.

Dr. Gandsas was so professional and explain the surgery very clear and the risks. I was very please and I understood eveything after leaving the office on the first visit. Dr. Gandsas is very educated in his line of work and knows how to make the patient feel comfortable. My surgery was extremely uneventful. I was able to have my surgery laproscopically,thus my recovery wasn't long at all- I went back to work in 10 days post surgery, Pain free. My impression of Dr. Gandsas is even better after surgery--he took such good care of me- and updated my family as soon as he could. The office staff at Dr. Gandsas office is very educated in their field of work --the office staff is always friendly and professional and the wait isn't long. I will always be honest---There was nothing I didn't love about Dr. Gandsas and his staff and I still trust and believe in their care after surgery.The patients thinking about having surgery should only go to Sinai Bariatric and chose Dr. Alen Gandsas. I was told that the after care is more important than pre-surgery because it is a total lifechange. There are so many after surgery support groups and meetings with the doctor, and Nancy It's very important to follow-up. There's so many structured post surgery programs---Support groups meetings,Wellness program, Transitioning program with Nancy, and many many more. I fully understood all the risks of surgery-- including death. I would rate Dr.Gandsas services and knowledge on a scale 1-10---he gets 10 and more because he is a master at what he does. I would have to say the entire team from Dr. Gandsas to his surgical team,nurses, hospital room,to my pain free (yes i said pain free ) was the best I have ever had in my life and I had surgery before-- I 'm so greatful to everyone that had any part in my care ---Thank you for continue help I'm still recieving.

So far so good. My wife and I have been through his seminars which he does with his associate Dr. Li. Both Dr. Gandsas and Dr. Li seemed very well qualified and down to earth in the way they presented the information. I'm not looking for a sales job, I want medical advice. Our initial consults with Dr. Gandsas were VERY short and to the point but I can't say I needed anything else from him. He asked us a few questions and gave us a surgery date. Very professional. I'll udpate this after surgery because in the end, that's the important part. At this point, I'd highly recommend either Dr. Gandsas or Dr. Li.rnrnI had my pre-op appointment yesterday. Still very impressed with Dr. Gandsas and his entire operation. He has been impressively thorough in ordering pre-op testing which I'm appreciative of. I'll update again after surgery.rnrnBRAVO Dr. Gandsas. I can't say enough good things about my experience with him and his staff. The truth of the matter is that you really don't see that much of your Surgeon, what you need from him/her is talent and skill in large quantities. Dr. Gandsas is as good as they come on both counts. His staff of Dr's, Nurses and Admin people (oh,yeah, and a ROBOT named BARI, very cool) are second to none. They made the entire process painless. rnrnMy surgery and after care went as perfectly as one could hope for. I can HIGHLY recommend Dr. Gandsas, as a matter of fact, my wife's surgery date is in a week and a half. I can't give him a better endorsement than that.

1. What was your first impression of him/her? rnDr. Gandsas greeted me with a a smile, and explained the surgery, even made drawings with a pencil to explain. rnrnHow did your impression change over time?rnNo change.rn rnHow would you describe his/her office staff? rnI had a good experience until a week before the scheduled surgery and got a call from the office that insurance had not approved the procedure. Appently the person that ususally does the follow thru was out on leave and my papaerwork got left to the side. Between my benefits provider and the staff working in teh department they did manage to get a rush, and I was amazed that I was approved in 2 days.rnrnWhat did you like least about him/her? rnNothing negative to report on Dr. GandsasrnrnWhat should future patients know about him/her? That he is an excellent Dr.rnrnHow much does he/she emphasize aftercare?rnThe entire program is completely set for aftercare. rnrnDoes he/she have a structured aftercare program? YesrnrnHow did he/she address the risks of surgery?rnYou are given inforamtion at seminars prior to surgery, and Dr. Gandsas explained at the appt prior to surgery the amount of surgeries he completed and the exact number to issues related to the surgeries (which were very minimal) rnrnHow would you rate him/her overall? rnon a scall of 1 to 10, I would rate Dr. Gandsas a 15!rnrnWhich is better, surgical competence, bedside manner, or are both great? Both are greatrnrnOverall I had an extremely positive experience, I am writing this exactly 1 week and a day post-surgery, and I feel great, no pain, no issues, laparascopic sites are healing well. rnMy family was kept informed during the surgery by the surgical staff, at 1 hour intervals, and Dr. Gandsas came out and spoke to them as soon as surgery ended. I received 2 follow-up phone calls from the staff at Sinai Hospital to find out how things were going. Very Impressed!rn

My first impression of Dr. Gandsas was that he was quite. My impression overtime changed the more I attended seminars and went to my appointments; I realized that Dr. Gandsas was especially concerned with the health of his patients and not just giving them the surgery. Not only was Dr. Gandsas supportive but his staff was as well. I appreciated the fact that his assistant had the surgery as well and Eileen looks great. All of the office staff are pleasant to work with and friendly. I never encountered a situation to where I was mistreated or given an attitude.rnrnThe one thing I liked least about Dr. Gandsas (if I have to say it) would be that he is kind of quite and could sometimes could be perceived as uncaring, however, I found this to be untrue the more I came to see him. I realized that he is just a reserved person who genuinely cares about his patients.rnrnFuture patients of Dr. Gandsas and his associates should realize that his program is to benefit you and your health. They emphasize nutrition and properly taking care of yourself before and after surgery. Be prepared to attend a lot of seminars, classes, and support group meeting (optional).rnrnDr. Gandsas and his staff strongly emphasize aftercare and require you to come to appointments and nutritional classes after surgery.rnrnYes, Dr. Gandsas and his staff have a structured after care program. They have classes in place for post op patients to attend to learn how to properly maintain their health and on vitamins which we should be taking. They also require blood works in order to make sure that you are healthy and that you are not becoming malnourished.rnrnDr. Gandsas always addressed the risks involved with the surgery and what could happen if he needed to go open vice laparoscopic. His staffs also gave ratios of complications and even let us know the death rate of patients from this surgery.rnrnI would give Dr. Gandsas and his staff overall an excellent (10) rating. Not only do I feel he has surgical competence his bedside manner was extraordinary.rnrnMany thanks to Dr. Gandsas and his staff. rnrnI am 3 months out and have lost 50% of my excess weight. rnrnThank you so much for giving me my life back and allowing me to be able to be healthy not only for me but for my family.rn

My first impression was when I entered the hospital (Sinaii Hospital of Baltimore), everyone was so friendly with a BIG smile on their face when talking to you. Then when I got to the 4th floor, I'm thinking OMG am I doing the right thing. I entered and the same thing happened. Everyone was wonderful. They explained everything that needed to be completed. The waiting room, OMG the chairs actually fit me, I didn't have to worry whether or not I would be able to squeeze into them. rnNow it came to the doctor - WONDERFUL, BRILLIANT, MAGNIFICENT, you know words cannot describe the compassion that Dr Gandsas and his team show and express. Dr Gandsas has a robot that comes to your room so you know he is TOP OF THE LINE in my book. I want to THANK everyone at Sinai Hospital and Dr Gandsas organization (Eileen, Paula, Nancy, Danielle) Thank you Dr Gandsas with all of my heart.

From the start, Dr Gandsas and his staff have impressed me! I am a very detail-oriented person, and the staff was more than willing to work with me and update me constantly with progress reports. His nurse kept in constant contact up until the day before surgery. Even while in the hospital, Dr Gandsas (thru his robot) visited my room often as well as various other members of his staff. I was in for surgery at 8:00 on a Monday and out of the hospital by Tuesday afternoon. I did experience some discomfort, but never really experienced any pain. I attribute that to a talented surgeon and wonderful follow-up care. And, Dr Gandsas even managed to work \"with\" my stomach tatoo, so that I could show it off once my weight is down!rnI cannot say enough wonderful and great things about this office!

I have nothing but positive comments about Dr. Gandsas and his team. They worked with me to resolve issues regarding my insurance and promptly scheduled the surgery. They have been most attentive and responsive to the my needs as an individual and a patient. Dr. Gandsas is a caring, yet disciplined, physician. He remains abreast in his medical field and has a loyal following of which I am proud to be associated. My surgery proceeded on time and without complications. I would not hesitate to recommend others to Dr. Gandsas.