Dr. Mark Andrew Elias, MD

I pursued a number of opinions regarding my fibroids before I was referred to Dr. Mark Elias. Dr. Elias was the only doctor who said he would genuinely try to save my uterus through a myomectomy. I'm not having kids but I really wanted to keep all of my organs and to be the exact same person I was before these giant tumors invaded my body over 3.5 years ago. Because it *is* a big decision, I wanted to make the choice to not have children with my "whole self," and to not have this dictated to me by fibroids or because I'd had an operation where I no longer had the physical capacity. Also, I wanted to keep my uterus to avoid possible early menopause and some of the health complications I'd heard about that can come with hysterectomies. Lastly, others on my comprehensive care team had informed me that my mast cell activation would most likely have progressed with a hysterectomy and it was a relief to find someone who could and would help me keep this disease from getting worse. Dr.… Elias has an artistic surgical gift -- he not only carefully removed my many large fibroids, but he considerately performed an unobtrusive bikini line cut. So far my incision looks like it is healing up nicely and won't be at all puckered. He was also open to the idea of taking and sharing photos of the procedure with me, which really helped me to understand what I'd been going through pre-, during, and post-operation. He basically does what others say can't be done and is both funny and kind during the entire process, which is super important when dealing with such intimate areas, issues and values. He actually read the entire large packet of info I brought in about how my other disease would be impacted by both the surgery and the various outcomes and then put me in touch with the anesthesiologist to make sure that we'd have the meds I needed to stop any allergic mast cell reactions. (I was even able to find some new medications with this operation that worked even better and I will use those if I ever need surgery again in the future.) Finally, Dr. Elias personally called me a few times to check in, which made me feel more comfortable and heard. Getting my fibroids out was an experience I AGONIZED about for 3.5 years and I actually had three other procedures to try to avoid the myomectomy. Because of what I'd been told elsewhere by other doctors, I was desperately afraid that, if I had surgery to remove my fibroids, I'd wake up without my uterus AND be much worse off due to the long term side effects from my other condition. But I'm quite pleased to share that I'm now in the opposite camp, healing up and no longer having to deal with the bulk, pain and other annoying symptoms of those pesky tumors. So you're in great hands with Dr. Elias. You get more options with him than with any other OB/GYN physician in MN (I even went to Mayo Clinic) and having these empowering choices can make a HUGE difference in everything you do for the rest of your life. Thank you very much, Dr. Elias, for taking on my tricky case. I'm immensely grateful to have my life back. And thanks also to the great staff at Mercy Hospital -- I'm so impressed and would definitely choose that facility again if I had to get another operation.

I pursued a number of opinions regarding my fibroids before I was referred to Dr. Mark Elias. Dr. Elias was the only doctor who said he would genuinely try to save my uterus through a myomectomy. I'm not having kids but I really wanted to keep all of my organs and to be the exact same person I was before these giant tumors invaded my body over 3.5 years ago. Because it *is* a big decision, I wanted to make the choice to not have children with my "whole self," and to not have this dictated to me by fibroids or because I'd had an operation where I no longer had the physical capacity. Also, I wanted to keep my uterus to avoid possible early menopause and some of the health complications I'd heard about that can come with hysterectomies. Lastly, others on my comprehensive care team had informed me that my mast cell activation would most likely have progressed with a hysterectomy and it was a relief to find someone who could and would help me keep this disease from getting worse. Dr.… Elias has an artistic surgical gift -- he not only carefully removed my many large fibroids, but he considerately performed an unobtrusive bikini line cut. So far my incision looks like it is healing up nicely and won't be at all puckered. He was also open to the idea of taking and sharing photos of the procedure with me, which really helped me to understand what I'd been going through pre-, during, and post-operation. He basically does what others say can't be done and is both funny and kind during the entire process, which is super important when dealing with such intimate areas, issues and values. He actually read the entire large packet of info I brought in about how my other disease would be impacted by both the surgery and the various outcomes and then put me in touch with the anesthesiologist to make sure that we'd have the meds I needed to stop any allergic mast cell reactions. (I was even able to find some new medications with this operation that worked even better and I will use those if I ever need surgery again in the future.) Finally, Dr. Elias personally called me a few times to check in, which made me feel more comfortable and heard. Getting my fibroids out was an experience I AGONIZED about for 3.5 years and I actually had three other procedures to try to avoid the myomectomy. Because of what I'd been told elsewhere by other doctors, I was desperately afraid that, if I had surgery to remove my fibroids, I'd wake up without my uterus AND be much worse off due to the long term side effects from my other condition. But I'm quite pleased to share that I'm now in the opposite camp, healing up and no longer having to deal with the bulk, pain and other annoying symptoms of those pesky tumors. So you're in great hands with Dr. Elias. You get more options with him than with any other OB/GYN physician in MN (I even went to Mayo Clinic) and having these empowering choices can make a HUGE difference in everything you do for the rest of your life. Thank you very much, Dr. Elias, for taking on my tricky case. I'm immensely grateful to have my life back. And thanks also to the great staff at Mercy Hospital -- I'm so impressed and would definitely choose that facility again if I had to get another operation.

Dr. Elias saved my life. He takes a thoughtful and thorough approach to patient care and is a very skilled surgeon. I can’t recommend him enough!

Dr. Elias is a great doctor. Yes, he can run a little behind schedule, but it is because he actually takes the time to BE A DOCTOR. He is one of the most, if not the most hard working doctor I've encountered. And he truly cares about his patients.

My first visit to Dr Elias was for a second opinion regarding surgery. I ultimately chose him to do the surgery, and he is now my primary gyn physician. My biggest complaint is that he is often running behind schedule, but I've never felt rushed. Some of my own appointments have run long because he takes the time to listen to all of my concerns. He has always followed up with test results, returning my phone calls, and getting referrals if I need to see a different specialist. I can see how his conversation style might come across as rude because he does tend to interrupt with his thoughts while I'm explaining symptoms or concerns, however I'd rather have that than a doctor who gives me no feedback. I would definitely recommend him to my friends or family.