LONG ISLAND LAPAROSCOPIC DOCTORS - Key Persons
Dr. Hesham Atwa is the senior surgeon at Long Island Laparoscopic Doctors sm with more than 20 years of experience in Advanced Laparoscopic, Open and Bariatric Surgery.
Dr. Atwa is a skilled surgeon known for his caring and compassionate bedside manner, garnishing awards as Top Surgeon and the Most Compassionate Doctor awards (2011 - 2017) and recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt award from John T. Mather and St. Charles Hospitals in 2018. He is board certified in general surgery with a mini-fellowship in bariatric surgery. He currently is Chief of Surgery and member at large of the medical board at Mather Hospital / Northwell Health, the Director / Chief of Surgery, Director of Robotic Surgery and member of the medical board at St. Charles Hospitals, Port Jefferson, NY, as well as the Chief of Surgery at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, NY. In addition, Dr. Atwa has received the Focused Practice Designation for Bariatric Surgery by the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Jon Leung came to Long Island Laparoscopic Doctors sm at the end of 2015 from North Shore LIJ - Staten Island University Hospital where he completed an Advanced Gastrointestinal Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship. Dr. Leung was born in Hong Kong and is fluent in Cantonese. He grew up locally in Valley Stream, Long Island. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science (Eberly College of Science, Dean's List) and then earned his medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in May 2009. He completed his general surgery residency training at St. John's Episcopal Hospital. During residency, he was given the opportunity to train hands-on with numerous world-renowned gastrointestinal and advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgeons at the prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
Dr. Leung is very passionate about many things in life, a former competitive swimmer, a tennis player and a violinist to name a few. He has led a well-balanced life with healthy eating habits and physical activity of which he strongly advocates to all his patients in his practice. Dr. Leung is genuine, caring, compassionate, and always treats his patients as a whole with utmost importance. With his experiences and an outstanding work ethic, he strives for excellence in achieving the best possible outcome for his patients whether it be overcoming the consequences of obesity or metabolic syndrome or just maintaining a healthy weight or lifestyle.
Job Titles:
- Obesity Medicine Physician
Dr. Barr is a graduate of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and was honored with a post graduate teaching fellowship before completing her Osteopathic internship. She also completed an allopathic Internal Medicine internship and residency from Winthrop University Hospital. Dr. Barr has served the Suffolk County community as an Internal Medicine physician for over thirty years. During that time she has been awarded the prestigious "Theodore Roosevelt award", from John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, where she also served as medical staff president and as a member of the ethics and leadership committees. In addition, Dr. Barr has been named "Woman of the Year in Medicine" by the Town of Brookhaven and was named as one of 2022's "Women of Distinction". After completing additional training, Dr. Barr is now director of Setauket Medical and specializes in Obesity Medicine.
Contact us to schedule a consult with Dr. Barr to discuss your goals, questions, and medical history. Learn about the different plans we have to achieve success and which one might be right for you.
Job Titles:
- Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgeon
Dr. Khair joined Long Island Laparoscopic Doctors in November 2019 coming from St Agnes Hospital in Baltimore where he completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery in one of the busiest programs in the state of Maryland. During the fellowship. Dr Khair performed over 500 cases of laparoscopic, bariatric and endoscopic procedures including sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and revisional surgeries. Dr Khair trained in robotic surgery during his fellowship obtaining special certification to use the da Vinci robot system. He also gained experience in foregut surgery (the treatment for esophageal and gastric diseases) and is trained to perform laparoscopic hiatal hernia repairs and Nissen fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux.
Dr. Khair earned his medical degree in 1998 from The University of Jordan, and then pursued a career in general surgery in the United Kingdom where he completed three years of surgical training, during which he obtained the membership of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (MRCS). He was later appointed as a Research Fellow at the Academic Surgical Unit at the University of Hull/UK, where he completed a three-year research project looking into new methods of diagnosing colon cancer utilizing a novel tumor marker. His research was published and presented in international medical journals meetings of high standard. He moved to the United States in 2008 and completed his general surgery training in 2013 at The Metropolitan Group Hospitals Program in Chicago. He was then employed by Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems in Missouri as a general surgeon in 2014 where he served there for almost 5 years.
Dr. Khair is a warm and compassionate physician who was inspired to enter the field of medicine by his father, also a noted physician. Because obesity is the underlining cause of so many diseases, and patient dissatisfaction with their life, Dr Khair, is committed to using his healing skills to help patients overcome their challenges and live longer more enjoyable lives. In his private life, Dr. Khair leads an active life on Long Island with his wife and two children where he enjoys soccer, squash and Taekwondo martial arts.
Joan Vitulli is the Bariatric Liaison here at Long Island Laparoscopic Doctors. As Joan says, "I am the first person patients come into contact with, and I'm always here to help. When patients call or come in to see me, I treat them as if they were members of my own family."
Leslie is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Certified Dietitian- Nutritionist.
Job Titles:
- General Surgeon
- Member of Our Surgical Team
- Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic General Surgeon
Dr. Craig is a general surgeon specializing in advanced minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures and the care of breast diseases. He cares for both adult and pediatric populations.
Dr. Nicholas Craig is the newest member of our surgical team, however, Dr. Craig is no stranger to this community. He has been in private practice and a member of the staff of both John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, where he served as President of the medical staff, and St. Charles Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for over 30 years. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Craig is a native Long Islander who grew up in Levittown and went on to attend Fordham University. He earned his medical degree from the University of Rome, Italy. Upon completing his residency, internship a Fellowship in General Surgery at the Hospital of St. Raphael in conjunction with Yale University School of Medicine, he returned to Long Island and established his private practice.
Dr. Craig combines his dedication to medicine with his passion for adventure. He was a High-Altitude Physician/Researcher for the 1999 Everest Extreme Expedition. He provided medical care to the villagers of the Himalayas on trek to Mt. Everest's Base Camp. In 2006, Dr. Craig served as Medical Director for "Team Zamora", compromised of 27 Mather Hospital staff members and sponsored by Healing for Children, Northeast. They provided medical care to the people of Zamora, Ecuador while instructing local surgeons in laparoscopic procedures. From this mission, the organization Blanca's House was conceived and as of today it has completed over 40 missions to Latin America providing Medical and Surgical Healthcare to impoverished communities throughout the region.
"One of great joys of my life has been to combine my dedication to medicine with my passion for adventure. I was a high-altitude physician and researcher for an Everest Extreme Expedition and Medical Director of a team of Long Island physicians traveling to Zamora, Ecuador to provide medical care and instruction to local surgeons in laparoscopic procedure."
Toniann Balistreri is the Bariatric Coordinator here at Long Island Laparoscopic Doctors, where she helps educate, guide, and support our patients throughout their weight loss journey.
As Toniann says, "It gives me personal fulfillment to know I help patients transition to a happy, healthy, positive version of themselves. It's so rewarding to see them full of life and off many or all medications they needed before they came to Long Island Laparoscopic Doctors."
Toniann's commitment to our patients extends far beyond the office: she also provides one-on-one coaching to our patients through our Baritastic mobile app, which is an important tool for patients. With the app, patients can simply look to their phones to track nutrition, count their steps, engage with helpful online resources, and get extra support from Toniann.