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1/28/01 I had surgery with Dr. Elariny in Arlington, VA. I found him to be kind, caring, nonjudgemental, very hardworking, and not predjudiced toward any one procedure. He is relatively new to WLS, though not laparoscopic surgery. It seemed that is is much easier to learn a new specific surgery procedure than a whole, difficult technique/method of surgery, so a very experienced lap surgeon who is fairly new to WLS seems a better choice than a very experienced WLS surgeon who is new to laproscopic methods. But the individual surgeon matters most, and Dr. Elariny is intelligent, dedicated, and naturally gifted. There were a few glitches, but all went well, and my only complaint is that he and his sweet nurse Shaunte are getting so many referrals that they are starting to be overwhelmed. You will need to keep up with your paperwork's progress and completeness, and you will see Dr. Elariny late in the eves while in hospital--and not for long. Overall, a very good choice.......P.S. I see a lot of personal venting on this page. Dr. E knows I think very well of him. (Jesse is a pseudonym;he will recognize me as the one who slept on her stomach in the hospital.)...However, because sharing what one thinks of the MD is what this page is for, they are entitled to express ANY opinion of the MD that is printable (taking into account libel laws, that is). I wouldn't dream of arguing with their unhappy impressions on this site, and I think the "doctor-groupies" who want to turn opposing commentaries into a personal battle are WAY out of line. If you like your MD, tell us. If not, you should also feel free to share it--this board is for us, and our safety. It takes courage to speak up, and not every doctor IS a good, sensitive one! And for those who can't tolerate negative messages, the general postings are where to take your concerns. Lambasting an unhappy patient for posting his/her feelings here will only make him/her angrier and more outspoken--and that does NOT help any doctor's reputation, no matter how fine an MD he may be. Tell your opinion, and let the doctor's work stand for itself. Lastly, all MDs have weak spots and make mistakes;they have crabby, snappish moments, too-- as we all do. Here is where they can hear the unvarnished truth, and do better--which can only help them in the long run!--"Jesse""
