UH Interventional Gastroenterologist Delivers State-of-the-Art Care with Striking Compassion

UH Clinical Update | October 2024

For Fazel Dinary, MD, his life and medical career are a testament to hope, dedication and resilience.

Fazel Dinary, MD

Born and raised in southern Iran, Dr. Dinary grew up in a bilingual household, speaking Persian and Arabic. His early exposure to medicine came as a young child accompanying his mother to the hospital for her severe asthma.

“As soon as she got her treatment, everything went away – like magic,” he recalls. Witnessing the profound relief she experienced, Dr. Dinary knew by age 8 that he wanted to become a doctor.

With his father’s encouragement, he attended a prestigious high school, excelling academically. He later moved to Ukraine, where he became proficient in Russian before pursuing his studies at Ukraine’s top medical school in Odessa. Following his medical education, he completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and another in urology.

Dr. Dinary’s journey continued in the United States, where he learned English to pass the U.S. medical licensing exam. During this time, he worked as a technologist in a medical lab. After completing his residency at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, he served as a faculty member in internal medicine, providing clinical expertise and mentorship to future physicians. His commitment to advancing his skills led him to a fellowship in general gastroenterology, and he was later accepted into an advanced GI fellowship at Johns Hopkins.

As a specialist in interventional gastroenterology, Dr. Dinary focuses on advanced, complex cases, including pancreatic and bile duct disorders, stomach and colon polyps, and cancerous masses. “What I love is to see patients get relief,” he says. “Patients come with pancreatic cancer obstructing bile ducts or with bile stones. They suffer greatly, but once the obstruction is removed, they feel immediate, significant relief.”

Dr. Dinary also treats patients who may not be candidates for traditional surgery. “With endoscopic submucosal dissection or hybrid ESD procedures, I can remove large polyps minimally invasively,” he explains. He frequently performs endoscopic mucosal resections, allowing patients to avoid more invasive surgical interventions.

Some patients are prone to bile stones due to factors like diet, obesity, diverticulitis or narrow bile ducts. “Providing relief, no matter the cause, is incredibly fulfilling,” says Dr. Dinary. “Seeing a patient and their family feel well again is a privilege.”

Recently, Dr. Dinary received the “Cliff Appreciates” award, and was honored at a “Dinner with the Doc” event. Teresa Fronck, head nurse of endoscopy at UH St. John Medical Center, had nominated him, noting, “In all my years in medicine, I have rarely met someone as compassionate and kind as Dr. Dinary. His dedication to high-quality, empathetic care for all patients, especially oncology patients facing life’s hardest challenges, is exceptional.

“He collaborates closely with patients, families, colleagues, and fellow physicians to provide both timely and compassionate care. I speak not just for myself but for the entire GI team.”

To nominate a physician for this honor, please click here.