About

Dr. Elariny was accepted to medical school at age 17 at Louisiana State University where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, his Medical Doctorate (MD) and his PhD in Biochemistry. He completed his General Surgery Internship at age 21 at the Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation in New Orleans, and he graduated with distinction as Chief Administrative Resident in 1996 and was also awarded the Trustee’s Award for original research and scientific writing. He practiced general surgery in South Louisiana (Bubba Gump Land) for three years while simultaneously continuing active laboratory research into the molecular origins of early breast cancer, personally performing bench techniques including DNA and RNA extraction, gene sequencing, gel electrophoresis, reverse transcriptase PCR, solid state matrix hybridization arrays and many others, to complete the research.

After relocating to Northern Virginia in 1999, he performed the first ever sleeve gastrectomy as a primary bariatric procedure worldwide in 2000. He published the only human gastric tissue thickness and compression study in print at the time in the peer reviewed literature. This study has served as the foundation upon which modern staple design is based including the Johnson and Johnson Ethicon Echelon stapler for which he is credited and receives recognition.

In 2003 Dr. Elariny Founded and lead, as Program Director, the Inova Fairfax Hospital Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship Program (the first in the region), he achieved full accreditation status with the only USA, MIS fellowship accreditation body, and has 12 consecutive successful graduates of the program, all practicing in the USA, and Canada; all with successful clinical and/or leadership positions. During his tenure at Inova Fairfax Hospital he pioneered the technique of laparoscopic duodenal switch, single incision robotic cholecystectomy, single incision, robotic sleeve gastrectomy, and was the first to bring NOTES procedures to the region. In collaboration with the George Mason University Molecular Biology Department he also published extensively on hepatic and visceral adipose tissue gene expression patterns in Metabolic Syndrome and applied proteomics technology to the research.

Dr. Elariny is also a pioneer in the medical device industry. He joined ACell as Chief Medical Officer in 2016. He conducted over 35 Abdominal Wall Reconstruction and Open Abdomen Management Symposia and Hands-on instructional Labs nationwide training practicing general and plastic surgeons in these techniques and he developed risk management strategies for surgical devices. He designed the FDA approved hiatal hernia mesh and oversaw the medical aspects of the US and Canadian regulatory process and product launches. He instructed all the National Sales Force. He provided independent review services to meet EU regulatory requirements, onboarded several distributors in the US and OUS and served as in-house laboratory and benchtop testing expert for the R&D department and was responsible for all medical aspects of corporate Quality Assurance. Ultimately Dr. Elariny was integral in the pre IPO process for the company and the eventual sale of ACell and transition to Integra in 2021.

Dr. Elariny accepted the role of Medical Director of Surgery for the University of Maryland, Shore Regional Health, in 2017 to transform the surgery programs for this community’s three-hospital-system and he expanded the program from one full time general surgeon to ten general surgery providers, added a thriving wound center and started Robotic General Surgery services. He served as the physician EPIC Champion for the successful conversion to EPIC, addressing the challenges of clinical process integrations needed for rolling out a new electronic health record for an entire system and seamless Go-Live.

During the Pandemic, Dr. Elariny provided trauma surgery services at several regional trauma centers. Dr. Elariny also completed a plastic surgery fellowship and provides plastic surgery services including complex abdominal wall reconstructions performed through standard “tummy-tuck” incisions. He has been and continues to provide peer review for multiple high impact surgical journals. He provides medical oversight for government agencies.

Dr. Elariny is a practicing surgeon in the greater Washington, DC Metropolitan area with a focus on minimally invasive, gastrointestinal, and robotic general and bariatric surgery. His private practice offices are located in Tyson’s Virginia.