Dr. Asnat Raziel, MD

Leading General Surgeon in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Obesity Medicine in Israel

Position: Founder and Medical Director, Senior Surgeon

Hospital: Assia Medical Group, Assuta Medical Center

Dr. Asnat Raziel is in the Forbes list of the best Israeli doctors

Pioneering bariatric surgeon and holistic obesity medicine specialist with over 25 years of comprehensive experience in surgical weight loss and multidisciplinary obesity treatment. Published researcher with 30+ peer-reviewed publications in leading international journals on bariatric surgery outcomes, complications, and innovations. Uniquely integrates Western surgical excellence with holistic approaches including nutritional therapy, pharmacologic weight management, mindfulness, positive psychology, and integrative medicine.

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Primary Clinical Specializations:

1. Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery (Super-Specialization)

• Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG): Primary weight loss procedure
• Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB): Gold standard metabolic surgery
• One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (OAGB/Mini Gastric Bypass): Modern alternative
• Duodenal Switch: Super-super obesity management
• Revisional Bariatric Surgery: Correction of failed previous procedures
• Adolescent Bariatric Surgery: Weight loss surgery in teenagers (14-18 years)
• Bariatric Surgery in Elderly: Safe management of older adults
• Concomitant Procedures: Combined cholecystectomy, hernia repair

2. Minimally Invasive (Laparoscopic) Surgery

• All bariatric procedures performed laparoscopically
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
• Laparoscopic appendectomy
• Laparoscopic bowel surgery
• Hiatal hernia repair (anti-reflux surgery)
• Ventral and umbilical hernia repair
• Abdominal wall hernia repair
• Band removal procedures

3. Pharmacologic Obesity Management (Innovation Leader)

• GLP-1 Agonist Therapy: Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), liraglutide
• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro): Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist
• Incretin-based Obesity Management Medications (OMMs)
• Medical weight loss program development
• Management of medication side effects
• Combination therapy approaches
• Transition between surgical and medical management

4. Multidisciplinary Holistic Obesity Treatment

• Comprehensive medical evaluation and risk stratification
• Nutritional counseling and dietary planning (with registered dietitians)
• Psychological support and behavioral modification (psychologists)
• Exercise physiology and physical activity programs
• Support groups and peer mentoring
• Spiritual wellness integration
• Long-term lifestyle coaching
• Maintenance of weight loss

5. Complication Management

• Thiamine deficiency and Wernicke encephalopathy prevention
• Nutritional deficiency management post-bariatric surgery
• Leak management and revision procedures
• Stricture and stenosis treatment
• Marginal ulcer management
• Dumping syndrome treatment

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Education of Dr. Raziel

Medical Degree

• MD: Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University
• Comprehensive medical education
• Foundation in surgical specialties

Residency Training

• General Surgery Residency: Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel
• Comprehensive training in all aspects of general surgery
• Extensive experience in laparoscopic techniques
• Emergency trauma surgery
• Oncologic surgery exposure

Military Service – Air Force

• Flight Surgeon: Israel Air Force
• Following internship, served as airborne physician
• Aviation medicine and combat medicine
• Emergency medical care in flight operations
• Leadership and crisis management training

Fellowship Training – International

1. Primary Fellowship – Minnesota, USA (2 years)

• Institution: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• Duration: Two-year comprehensive fellowship
• Focus: Bariatric surgery and minimally invasive surgery
• Training under world-leading bariatric surgeons
• High-volume surgical experience (hundreds of procedures)
• Research and publication in bariatric outcomes
• Procedures Learned:
  • Adjustable gastric banding
  • Sleeve gastrectomy
  • Gastric bypass
  • Duodenal switch
  • Revisional bariatric procedures

2. International Rotations:

• UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California: Trauma surgery department
• Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France: Abdominal surgery
• University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland: Cardiac surgery
• Wolfson Medical Center, Israel: Extensive weight loss surgery and laparoscopic techniques

Holistic & Integrative Medicine Training:

• Bariatric Surgery Advanced Courses: Continuous professional education
• Holistic Health Coaching Certification
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
• Theta Healing Practitioner
• Metaism Therapy Training
• Positive Psychology Applications
• Integrative Medicine Approaches

Professional Experience of Surgeon Asnat Raziel

Assia Bariatric Center, Assia Medical Group, Assuta Medical Center, Tel Aviv

• 2005 – Present: Founder and Medical Director
• Leadership Achievements:
  • Established one of Israel’s first dedicated bariatric centers of excellence
  • Built high-volume surgical center (6000+ bariatric procedures)
  • Created comprehensive multidisciplinary obesity treatment model
  • Assembled team of 4 fellowship-trained bariatric surgeons
  • Integrated plastic surgery for post-bariatric body contouring
  • Developed endocrinology service for metabolic management
  • Established gastroenterology support for complications
  • Created dietitian and psychology services
  • Implemented support group programs
  • Pioneered holistic approach in Israeli bariatric care

Clinical Responsibilities:

• Performance of 1000+ bariatric surgeries personally
• Supervision of surgical team and quality assurance
• Development of clinical protocols and pathways
• Management of complex and high-risk cases
• Teaching and mentoring of surgeons
• Research program leadership
• Patient education and counseling

Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel

• General Surgery Residency: Comprehensive surgical training
• Bariatric Surgery Experience: Acquired extensive experience in weight loss procedures and minimally invasive surgery during residency

Israel Air Force

• Flight Surgeon: Post-internship military service
• Airborne medical operations
• Emergency and trauma care
• Aviation physiology and medicine

Research & Publications

Dr. Raziel has publication Record: 30+ peer-reviewed publications in leading international journals

Selected Key Publications:

1. Raziel A, Sakran N, Szold A, Goitein D. “Concomitant cholecystectomy during laparoscopic bariatric surgery.” Obesity Surgery.
   • Research on combined gallbladder removal during weight loss surgery
2. Raziel A, Messinger G, Sakran N, Szold A, Goitein D. “Comparison of two neuromuscular anesthetics reversal in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery – A prospective study.” Obesity Surgery.
   • Anesthesia safety research in bariatric population
3. Raziel A, Sakran N, Szold A, Goitein D. “Concomitant bariatric surgery and ventral hernia repair in morbidly obese patients.” Obesity Surgery.
   • Management of hernias during weight loss surgery
4. Raziel A, Sakran N, Szold A, Teshuva O, Krakovsky M, Rabau O, Goitein D. (2014). “Mid-term follow-up after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in obese adolescents.” Israel Medical Association Journal, 16(4):212-6.
   • Important research on adolescent bariatric surgery outcomes
5. Raziel A. (2012). “Thiamine deficiency after bariatric surgery may lead to Wernicke encephalopathy.” Israel Medical Association Journal, 14(11):692-4.
   • Critical patient safety research on nutritional complications
6. Goitein D, Raziel A, Szold A, Sakran N. (2016). “Assessment of perioperative complications following primary bariatric surgery according to the Clavien-Dindo classification: comparison of sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-Y gastric bypass.” Surgical Endoscopy, 30(1):273-8.
   • Landmark comparative safety study
7. Sakran N, Sherf-Dagan S, Hod K, Kaplan U, Azaria B, Raziel A, et al. (2023). “One anastomosis gastric bypass in 6722 patients: Early outcomes from a private hospital registry.” Journal of Clinical Medicine.
   • Large-scale outcome study from Assia Bariatric
8. Sherf-Dagan S, Schechter L, Lapidus R, Raziel A, et al. (2018). “Perceptions of success in bariatric surgery: A nationwide survey among medical professionals.” Obesity Surgery, 28:135-141.
   • Research on professional perspectives on bariatric outcomes
9. Susmallian S, Raziel A, Barnea R, Paran H. (2019). “Bariatric surgery in older adults: Should there be an age limit?” Medicine (Baltimore), 98(3):e13824.
   • Important research on elderly bariatric surgery safety
10. Meydan C, Raziel A, Sakran N, Gottfried V, Goitein D. (2016). “Single anastomosis gastric bypass-comparative short-term outcome study of conversional and primary procedures.” Obesity Surgery, 26(10):2482-2486.

Research Focus Areas:

• Bariatric surgery outcomes and complications
• Adolescent bariatric surgery
• Elderly bariatric patients
• Nutritional complications (thiamine deficiency, Wernicke encephalopathy)
• Complication classification systems (Clavien-Dindo)
• Revisional bariatric surgery
• Concomitant procedures (cholecystectomy, hernia repair)
• Incretin-based obesity medications (GLP-1 agonists)
• Quality of life after bariatric surgery
• Success metrics in bariatric surgery
• Gastrointestinal side effects of obesity medications

Conference Presentations:

• Dozens of presentations at international bariatric surgery conferences
• Israeli national medical conferences
• IFSO (International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity) congresses
• European and American bariatric surgery society meetings
• Keynote lectures on holistic obesity treatment
• Workshops on surgical techniques

Professional Leadership & Service

Israeli Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

• Board Member: Active leadership in national organization
• Contribution to standards and guidelines
• Professional education and training
• Advocacy for bariatric surgery access

International Federation for Surgery of Obesity (IFSO)

• Member: Active participation in global bariatric community
• International collaboration and knowledge sharing

Additional Professional Memberships:

• Member, Israel Medical Association (Histadrut HaRefuah)
• Member, Israeli Surgical Society
• Member, Israel Society of Laparoscopic Surgery
• Member, European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES)
• Member, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)
• Member, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES)
• Member, Israeli Society for the Study and Treatment of Obesity

Media & Public Education:

• Frequent television appearances (Channel 10, others)
• Radio interviews on bariatric surgery and obesity treatment
• Medical journalist and writer
• Regular contributor to professional and general press
• Patient education videos and materials
• Social media presence for public health education

Awards & Recognition of Dr. Asnat Raziel

Patient Recognition:

• 4.9/5.0 Rating on MedReviews: Based on numerous patient reviews
• Consistently praised for empathetic, professional, patient care
• “A charm of a doctor” – patient testimonial
• “Professional, caring, understanding, and patient” – common themes
• “Listens attentively, explains thoroughly” – repeated feedback

Professional Recognition:

• Recognized leader in Israeli bariatric surgery
• Pioneer in multidisciplinary obesity treatment
• Sought-after international lecturer
• Published researcher with significant academic contributions
• Founder of leading Israeli bariatric center

Selected Patient Testimonials:

• “I wish all doctors were as dedicated, good, and kind… The accompaniment, care, and professionalism felt at every moment turned the surgery into a completely positive experience.”
• “So wonderful to receive a listening ear from such an understanding, caring, patient, professional doctor – simply a charm of a doctor.”
• “Professional, patient, warm, caring, and dedicated… I would rate her plus infinity stars if possible.”
• “She listened truly, examined thoroughly, explained everything clearly and pleasantly, all with a humane and warm approach that soothes and gives a sense of security.”

Languages

• Hebrew
• English

Clinical Practice Philosophy of Dr. Raziel

Multidisciplinary Holistic Approach:

Dr. Raziel pioneered a revolutionary model for obesity treatment in Israel that recognizes obesity as a complex, multifactorial disease requiring comprehensive care beyond surgery alone.

The Assia Bariatric Multidisciplinary Model:

1. Medical Evaluation:

• Comprehensive health assessment
• Comorbidity identification and management
• Risk stratification
• Nutritional status evaluation
• Psychological screening

2. Surgical Excellence:

• State-of-the-art laparoscopic techniques
• Patient-specific procedure selection
• Minimally invasive approaches
• Low complication rates
• Excellent outcomes

3. Nutritional Support:

• Pre-operative dietary counseling
• Post-operative nutrition education
• Supplement protocols
• Long-term dietary management
• Prevention of nutritional deficiencies

4. Psychological Care:

• Pre-operative psychological evaluation
• Behavioral modification support
• Eating disorder screening and treatment
• Coping strategies development
• Long-term mental health support

5. Physical Activity:

• Exercise physiology consultation
• Individualized activity programs
• Progressive fitness development
• Integration of movement into lifestyle

6. Holistic & Complementary Approaches:

• Mindfulness training for emotional eating
• Theta healing for trauma resolution
• Metaism therapy for transformation
• Positive psychology for motivation
• Spiritual wellness integration

7. Support Systems:

• Support group participation
• Peer mentoring programs
• Family education and involvement
• Long-term follow-up and monitoring
• Community building

8. Medical Weight Management:

• GLP-1 agonist therapy (when appropriate)
• Pharmacologic support for weight loss
• Combination surgical and medical approaches
• Management of medication side effects

Patient-Centered Philosophy:

• Each patient is unique – individualized treatment plans
• Emphasis on listening and understanding
• Compassionate, empathetic care
• Realistic expectations and honest communication
• Long-term relationship and support
• Empowerment through education
• Celebration of non-scale victories
• Focus on health, not just weight

For patients seeking high-level bariatric and metabolic surgery care in Israel, Dr. Asnat Raziel provides expert second opinion and individualized treatment strategies for obesity, obesity-related metabolic conditions, revisional bariatric cases, and minimally invasive surgical procedures, with a multidisciplinary approach focused on long-term weight management and quality of life.