Men on the Scene: Dr. Arun Khazanchi

Dr. Arun Khazanchi of Florida Digestive Disease Specialists brings a high degree of professional expertise and a compassionate nature to his patients whether they are facing a serious disease or when helping improve their digestive health. Dr. Khazanchi is board certified in gastroenterology, hepatology and internal medicine. He specializes in esophageal and pancreatic cancers along with conditions of the gallbladder and bile ducts. Dr. Khazanchi is one of only a few Florida physicians who perform endoscopic ultrasounds for biopsies of the lungs, esophagus, lymph nodes, rectum or pancreas for staging cancers, which is critical in finding the best treatment options.Whether working from his Lakewood Ranch office or his suite at Doctors Hospital, Dr. Khazanchi purposefully creates warm, homelike environments. “Family is very important to me. I consider my office staff part of my family, and patients are an adopted family,” he says. “I am a compassionate person, and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated. I believe in a friendly atmosphere.” Dr. Khazanchi also emphasizes the importance of a competent staff and taking time to create individualized treatment plans.Patient education is important to him because he believes that in many senses we are what we eat. “The care and feeding of our digestive systems is important. An improper diet can lead to issues that develop in the gastrointestinal tract,” Dr. Khazanchi says. “The problem is that these issues may not be apparent right away. They may not show up until later in life, but they will show up. I always found that to be very interesting, and it’s what drew me into gastroenterology.” When he’s not devoting time to patients, Dr. Khazanchi loves spending time with his wife and teenage daughter.