Ghassan Abdullah Alzayer, MD| Gastroenterology | MedStar Health

Ghassan Abdullah Alzayer, MD
Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

4.8 out of 5 (118 reviews)

Specialties: Gastroenterology

Languages: Arabic, English

About me

Ghassan Alzayer, MD, is an attending gastroenterologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Dr. Alzayer sees patients for all conditions of the gastrointestinal tract and has a special interest in esophageal diseases/disorders, including GERD (acid reflux), Barrett’s esophagus, eosinophilic esophagitis, esophageal strictures (narrowing), and motility disorders.

He employs a variety of diagnostic and treatment procedures including endoscopy, colonoscopy, endoscopic dilation, PEG tube (feeding tube) placement, capsule endoscopy, esophageal PH testing, and high-resolution manometry.

Dr. Alzayer works with each patient to understand the root cause of their symptoms and to make an accurate diagnosis. When appropriate, he employs conservative treatment options, like lifestyle changes and pharmacological treatments, to help improve symptoms, before recommending more invasive treatment options. Dr. Alzayer is highly experienced in the use of  colonoscopy for the removal of polyps, including advanced polyps. 

Dr. Alzayer received his medical degree from University of Dammam College of Medicine in Saudi Arabia, where he served as a resident, teaching assistant, and clinical instructor in their Department of Internal Medicine. He then completed his residency training in internal medicine at Baystate Medical Center/University of Massachusetts, where he served as Chief Resident and had various clinical, leadership, and teaching roles for training residents, and worked along the faculty in internal medicine residency program improvement. Finally, he completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital before joining MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He is a member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the American Gastrointestinal Association, and the American College of Gastroenterology.

Philosophy of Care

“My approach to treatment can be described as ‘whole patient care.’ The care I provide is patient-focused and relies on the time I take to listen to my patients in order to understand the root cause of their symptoms. By listening to the concerns of my patients, I can provide a treatment plan that is tailored to their specific needs and that also aligns with their treatment goals.”

Clinical areas of focus

  • Abdominal Distention
  • Abnormal Bowel Movement
  • Abnormal Stool
  • Anal Fissure
  • Bleeding Hemorrhoids
  • Chronic Diarrhea
  • Colonoscopy
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Gastrointestinal Bleeding
  • Helicobacter Pylori
  • Postprandial Diarrhea
  • Rectal Pain
  • Stomach Pain
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Conditions and procedures

Conditions I treat

  • Abdominal Bloating
  • Abdominal Distention
  • Abdominal Pain
  • Abnormal Amylase Blood Test
  • Abnormal Bowel Movement
  • Abnormal Liver Function Blood Test
  • Abnormal Stool
  • Achalasia
  • Acute Pancreatitis
  • Alcoholic Liver Disease
  • Allergic Esophagitis
  • Altered Bowel Habits
  • Anal Cancer
  • Anal Fissure
  • Anal Fistula
  • Anal Itching
  • Anal Pain
  • Anal Spasm
  • Anemia
  • Annular Pancreas
  • Anorexia
  • Appendiceal Cancer
  • Autoimmune Enteropathy
  • Autoimmune Hepatitis
  • Barrett's Esophagus
  • Benign Neoplasm Of Colon
  • Biliary Tract Disease
  • Bleeding Hemorrhoids
  • Blood In Stool
  • Bowel Dysmotility
  • Bright Red Blood Per Rectum
  • Celiac Disease
  • Choking Sensation
  • Cholangitis
  • Cholecystitis
  • Cholelithiasis
  • Cholestasis
  • Chronic Abdominal Pain
  • Chronic Diarrhea
  • Chronic Pancreatitis
  • Cirrhosis
  • Clostridium Difficile
  • Colitis
  • Collagenous Colitis
  • Colonic Inertia
  • Colonic Polyps
  • Colorectal Malignancy
  • Constipation
  • Crohn's Disease
  • Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
  • Diarrhea
  • Digestive Disorders
  • Diverticular Disease
  • Diverticulitis
  • Drug Induced Liver Injury
  • Duodenal Ulcer
  • Duodenitis
  • Dyspepsia
  • Dysphagia
  • Early Satiety
  • Elevated Alkaline Phosphatase Level
  • Elevated Lipase
  • Eosinophilic Colitis
  • Eosinophilic Enteritis
  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis
  • Eosinophilic Gastritis
  • Epigastric Pain
  • Eructation
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Esophageal Disease
  • Esophageal Diverticulum
  • Esophageal Mass
  • Esophageal Motility Disorders
  • Esophageal Spasm
  • Esophageal Stricture
  • Esophageal Thickening
  • Esophageal Ulcer
  • Esophageal Varices
  • Esophagitis
  • Family History Of Colon Cancer
  • Family History Of Colon Polyps
  • Fatty Liver
  • Fecal Impaction
  • Fecal Incontinence
  • Flatulence
  • Focal Nodular Hyperplasia
  • Gallbladder Cancer
  • Gallbladder Disease
  • Gallbladder Polyp
  • Gastric Ulcer
  • Gastritis
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
  • Gastrointestinal (GI) Stromal Tumors
  • Gastrointestinal Amyloid
  • Gastrointestinal Bleeding
  • Gastrojejunal Ulcer
  • Gastroparesis
  • Giardiasis
  • Gluten Sensitivity
  • Helicobacter Pylori
  • Hematemesis
  • Hemochromatosis
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Hepatitis
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C
  • Hepatomegaly
  • Hiatal Hernia
  • Ileitis
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Intestinal Obstruction
  • Intractable Vomiting
  • Iron Deficiency Anemia
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Ischemic Bowel
  • Ischemic Colitis
  • Jaundice
  • Lactose Intolerance
  • Left Upper Quadrant Pain
  • Liver Disease
  • Liver Mass
  • Lymphocytic Colitis
  • Lynch Syndrome
  • Malabsorption
  • Malignant Neoplasm Of Stomach
  • Melena
  • Microscopic Colitis
  • Motility Disorders
  • Nausea
  • Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
  • Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
  • Obstipation
  • Obstructive Jaundice
  • Odynophagia
  • Ogilvie Syndrome
  • Pancreas Divisum
  • Pancreatic Cyst
  • Pancreatic Insufficiency
  • Pancreatic Pseudocyst
  • Pancreaticobiliary Disease
  • Pancreatitis
  • Peptic Ulcer
  • Peritonitis
  • Pernicious Anemia
  • Personal History Of Colonic Polyps
  • Peutz Jeghers Syndrome
  • Polyposis Syndrome
  • Portal Hypertension
  • Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy
  • Positive Hemoccult Fecal Occult Blood Test
  • Postprandial Diarrhea
  • Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
  • Proctitis
  • Rectal Bleeding
  • Rectal Cancer
  • Rectal Pain
  • Right Lower Quadrant Pain
  • Right Upper Quadrant Pain
  • Short Bowel Syndrome
  • Small Bowel Disease
  • Small Intestine Cancer
  • Steatorrhea
  • Stomach Cancer
  • Stomach Cramps
  • Stomach Disorders
  • Stomach Pain
  • Swallowing Problem
  • Toxic Liver Injury
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Ulcerative Proctitis
  • Vomiting
  • Whipple's Disease
  • Wilson's Disease
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Procedures I perform

  • Bravo PH Test
  • Colon Polypectomy
  • Colonoscopy
  • Colorectal Screening
  • Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
  • Feeding Tube Management
  • Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Screening
  • Gastroscopy
  • Peg (PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPIC GASTROSTOMY)
  • Proctosigmoidoscopy
  • Sigmoidoscopy
  • Single Balloon Enteroscopy
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Practice locations

Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location

106 Irving Street Northwest
POB Ste 205 South Tower
Washington, DC, 20010

202-877-7108

Fax 202-877-3062

Get Directions

miles away

Fax 202-877-3062

Insurance

MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.

  • List of insurance plans we accept
    • UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
    • UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO
    • United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)"
    • UHC Community Plan of MD
    • Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
    • Medicare Fee for Service
    • Kaiser Virginia Premier
    • Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
    • Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
    • Kaiser Permanente Signature
    • Kaiser Permanente Select
    • Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
    • Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
    • Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
    • Cigna HealthSpring Medicare Advantage
    • CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
    • CFBCBS EPO
    • Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)"
    • Aetna Better Health of Maryland
    • Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
    • Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
    • M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
    • M.D. IPA (HMO)
    • United Student Resources
    • United Healthcare Choice Plus
    • United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
    • United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
    • United Healthcare Choice
    • Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
    • Tricare Prime
    • MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
    • MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
    • FIRST HEALTH
    • Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
    • First Health PPO
    • Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
    • Coventry Health Care of Virginia
    • CIGNA Indemnity
    • Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
    • CIGNA POS/Network POS
    • CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
    • POS OA & OA Plus
    • Network OA
    • CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
    • Choice Fund PPO
    • PPO and PPO Plus
    • CIGNA EPO
    • CFBCBS (NCA) Indemnity
    • CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
    • HealthyBlue PPO
    • CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
    • CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
    • CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
    • CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
    • BlueChoice Open Access
    • CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
    • Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
    • Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
    • Innovation Health: Indemnity
    • Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
    • Innovation Health: PPO
    • Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
    • Aetna Student Health Insurance
    • Innovation Health: POS Plus
    • Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
    • Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
    • Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
    • Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
    • Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
    • Open EPO Plus
    • Opoen HMO Option
    • Open HMO
    • Innovation Health: POS
    • Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
    • Open POS II
    • Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
    • Choice POS & Choice POS II
    • Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
    • Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
    • Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
    • Aetna HMO

Education

Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine

Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology

Fellowship Program: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (2021)

Residency Program: Baystate Medical Center (2018)

Medical School: University of Dammam College of Medicine (2010)

Ratings and reviews

  • Explanations the care provider gave you about your problem or condition

    4.8
  • Extent to which the care provider listened to you

    4.8
  • Care provider's discussion of any proposed treatment (options, risks, benefits, etc.)

    4.8
  • Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your care

    4.8
  • Concern the care provider showed for your questions or worries

    4.8
  • Likelihood of recommending this care provider to others

    4.8
  • Feb 27, 2024

    He answered all my questions. Thank you

  • Feb 15, 2024

    Very good physician/ patient relationship. Questions answered so I could understand pleasant mannerisms

  • Jan 18, 2024

    The doctor listened to all my concerns and explained everything to me in detail. He explained how he would proceed with my care.