On this page
- Triple board certification, and why it matters to you
- Training and background
- How Dr. Herraka approaches care
- Conditions he treats
- Procedures he performs
- Hospital affiliations
- Memberships and languages
- What patients say
- Cost & insurance
- How to schedule with Dr. Herraka
- Frequently asked questions
- Schedule a visit with Dr. Herraka
Triple board certification, and why it matters to you
Ihab Herraka, MD is a gastroenterologist in Fort Smith, Arkansas, seeing patients at 3416 Old Greenwood Rd. He also sees patients in Florida; those are separate practices, and this page is the Arkansas one. Dr. Herraka is board-certified in three specialties: Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Most gastroenterologists hold the first two. The third is what changes the care you receive. The conditions that fill a GI clinic in Arkansas (fatty liver disease, reflux, gallbladder problems, colon polyps) are rarely just digestive problems. They are tied to weight, insulin resistance, blood sugar and cholesterol. A physician trained in both fields can treat the liver and the metabolism behind it at the same time, rather than sending you to a second clinic and hoping the two plans agree. In practice, that means one doctor, one chart and one plan for problems that are genuinely connected.
Training and background
Dr. Herraka earned his medical degree from the University of Aleppo School of Medicine. He completed his Internal Medicine residency and his Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine and Shands Hospital in Gainesville. He has been in clinical practice since 2012 and founded his Fort Smith practice in 2016. He has been performing in-office hemorrhoid banding since 2020 and has completed hundreds of successful bandings. Alongside patient care, he has published and presented on topics including chronic pancreatitis testing, colorectal cancer screening, and hepatitis C treatment, and he keeps current with changing standards of care for MASLD, MASH and liver fibrosis.
How Dr. Herraka approaches care
His approach is simple: explain the problem in words you can repeat to your family, then treat the cause rather than only the symptom. Patients often arrive after being told to "eat better and exercise" with no plan attached, or after being handed a lab result nobody explained. Dr. Herraka starts by finding out what is actually happening, with the right tests, not extra ones, and then tells you plainly what stage you are at, what it means, and what your realistic options are. Shame has no place in that conversation. Weight, bowel habits and rectal bleeding are medical facts, not moral ones, and they are discussed here the way any other medical fact would be.
Conditions he treats
Dr. Herraka cares for adults with a broad range of digestive and liver conditions, including:
- Liver: fatty liver disease and MASLD, MASH and liver fibrosis, elevated liver enzymes, hepatitis B and C, autoimmune hepatitis, cirrhosis, hemochromatosis, primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Upper GI: heartburn and GERD, Barrett's esophagus, difficulty swallowing, peptic ulcers, celiac disease, gastritis and gastroparesis
- Lower GI: colon polyps and colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation and diarrhea, anemia and rectal bleeding
- Anorectal: internal and external hemorrhoids and anal fissures
- Metabolic: obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome through our medical weight loss program
Procedures he performs
Dr. Herraka personally performs the procedures his patients need, so the physician who examines you is the physician who scopes or treats you.
- Screening and diagnostic colonoscopy with polyp removal, in our on-site endoscopy suite at the Main Clinic. For adults at average risk, colon cancer screening now begins at age 45.
- Upper endoscopy (EGD) to evaluate reflux, swallowing trouble, ulcers, bleeding and celiac disease, with biopsies when needed.
- CRH O'Regan hemorrhoid banding: a non-surgical, in-office treatment that takes about a minute per band and requires no anesthesia and no fasting.
- FibroScan liver testing: a painless ten-minute scan that measures liver fat and scarring without a biopsy.
Hospital affiliations
Dr. Herraka is affiliated with Baptist Health Fort Smith and Mercy Hospital Fort Smith. Hospital affiliation means he can admit and care for his patients at those hospitals when a problem needs hospital-level treatment. For most patients, that continuity matters most in an emergency, when the doctor meeting you already knows your history.
Memberships and languages
Dr. Herraka is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). He sees patients in English and Arabic. If you are more comfortable discussing your health in Arabic, you can speak with him directly, without an interpreter. Dr. Herraka's NPI number is 1174610018. He is licensed to practice medicine in Arkansas and Oklahoma, which is why patients from eastern Oklahoma can be seen here without crossing a licensing line.
What patients say
Dr. Herraka is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 201 patient reviews on Birdeye. Dr. Herraka is currently accepting new patients.
Cost & insurance
Digestive & Liver Center of Arkansas is physician-owned and independent, and we accept most major coverage in the region: Medicare, Arkansas Medicaid, Oklahoma Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, and Veterans/VA. In most cases you do not need a referral to make an appointment. Some plans do require one, and our staff will help you arrange it and verify your benefits before your visit. Self-pay pricing is available for elective services. Please call the office for current pricing.
How to schedule with Dr. Herraka
One number reaches him for everything: (479) 242-2888, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at our gastroenterology clinic Fort Smith AR at 3416 Old Greenwood Rd, Fort Smith, AR 72903. GI visits, colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, hemorrhoid banding, fatty liver care, FibroScan and medical weight loss all happen there. Bring your insurance card and photo ID, a current list of your medications, and any recent lab work or imaging reports if you have them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dr. Herraka accepting new patients?
Yes. Dr. Herraka sees new patients at our Fort Smith office, including patients traveling from Van Buren, Greenwood, Alma, Barling, Charleston and from Poteau and Sallisaw in eastern Oklahoma. Call and our staff will find the first available appointment.
Do I need a referral to see him?
In most cases, no. You can call and schedule directly. Certain insurance plans require a referral from your primary care provider before a specialist visit. Our front office will check your plan when you call and walk you through it if a referral is needed.
Does Dr. Herraka speak Arabic?
Yes. He speaks both English and Arabic and sees patients in either language, which many families in the River Valley find makes an already stressful visit much easier.
Do I see him in the same place for everything?
Yes. Whatever the visit is about, a colonoscopy, a FibroScan, hemorrhoid banding or a weight-loss appointment, it happens at 3416 Old Greenwood Rd, with the same physician and one chart. There is no second office to keep track of and no records to move between them.
Does Dr. Herraka perform the procedures himself?
Yes. He personally performs colonoscopy and upper endoscopy in our on-site endoscopy suite, performs hemorrhoid banding in the office, and reviews FibroScan results with you himself. You will not be handed off to a physician you have never met.
At what age should I start colon cancer screening?
For adults at average risk, screening now begins at age 45, not 50. If you have a first-degree relative who had colorectal cancer or advanced polyps, or a hereditary condition such as Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis, screening usually starts earlier, and Dr. Herraka will set the right timing based on your family history.
Schedule a visit with Dr. Herraka
Whether it is a GI concern, a colonoscopy, hemorrhoid banding, a FibroScan or a weight-loss visit, it is the same number: call (479) 242-2888 or request an appointment. Dr. Herraka sees patients at 3416 Old Greenwood Rd, Fort Smith, AR 72903, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.