Johnson City Medical Center Bariatric Center

Dr. Watson is absolutely horrible. Check ratings on other websites. There is a reason he is rated so bad. RUN and never look back. There are MUCH better surgeons in the area.

i thought he was very nice and caring when i met him. he has a great bedside manner. no matter how busy he is, he always treats me well. i wish it wasn't such a long wait when you go to see him. the staff is very nice. they really are good about aftercare. they went over everything very well. i highly recomend him. he is the best.

Before I met Dr. Watson I had heard split reviews on him. A friend of mine convinced me that he is so wonderful but if you don't work your program like you are supposed to he will let you know about it.
He walked into my room and the first thing he said was "HOW WE DOIN GIRL?!", funny how that "girl" add on made me feel at ease with him. He took his time with me and went over a questionaire I had to fill out thouroughly and NEVER made me feel rushed. He took his time and gave me the opportunity to ask any questions I needed to. Loved him!

A wonderful Gastric Bypass Surgeon!!

I really think that Dr. Watson is quite knowledgeable and friendly. He wants to make sure that you understand the risks as well as the good things wih the surgery. He has been the best surgeon I have been referred to.rnrnHis staff is friendly and he and they will help you out if you have any problems. They are concerned if you have questions and they will also help you out with the insurance company.rnrnThe support group and classes are great. I really like Dr. Watson.

My big problem with Dr. Watson is with his after care, and because of this, I would not recommend him to my worst enemy. Sure, he’s personable, friendly, and very interested in you and your upcoming surgery, but once he has done the cutting, you might not ever see him again. I never did, even though I tried repeatedly.

Even when I was in the hospital for my surgery, I only saw him twice. Once the morning of the surgery, and I think that maybe he came by when I first woke up. The only doc I remember seeing was his junior partner and not my surgeon.

There is no structured after-care program, only a liaison named Pat who will *sometimes* call you back if you have questions. Pat is not, however, a medical, psychological, or nutritional professional. She is just a lady who was Dr. Watson’s very first gastric bypass patient. (Apparently she had a number of problems and has enjoyed additional surgery or surgeries. Perhaps it was safer to put her on the payroll than to risk a lawsuit. That’s my suspicion, anyway.)

Pat dispenses advice and frequently forgets that she is not a medical or psychological professional. Want to know the very best part about my experience with Pat? My husband talked to her when he had concerns about my libido three months after the surgery. I was still easily exhausted and just not interested. Anyway, Pat told him to consider the possibility that maybe I was getting “it” somewhere else, as it wasn’t uncommon for bariatric patients to lose a lot of weight and go crazy. ^&%*&%^~!!!! Do you have ANY idea how long it took me to calm my husband back down? (I am not making this up, I swear.)
Follow-up eight months later: I've haven't seen my surgeon since my surgery, although I've been back three times. The first time I got a nurse who removed my jp-drain, and doc wasn't even in the building. The second time I got a nurse that I didn't exactly trust and the third time he was called out for emergency surgery and canceled everyone's appointments. (It doesn’t help at all that I drove for an hour and a half to get there, and no one from his office even bothered to call and tell me.) It's a day from work each time I go and a drive of almost three hours. If I try this again, then I am definitely taking my big notebook full of questions and refusing to leave until he sees me. Now I can't even talk to the nurse I didn't trust because he fired her or she went to work somewhere else. (sigh)

Follow-up TEN months later: Guess what? I STILL haven't seen my surgeon!! I did make another trip over the Christmas season, and he was never even in the office. No, his staff did not call me and let me know, either. I found out not when I arrived but when I refused to hand over my copay until I actually, really, truly saw my surgeon. Then the girl looked startled and informed me that he wasn't even there - again. I took my notebook with me - you know, the one full of questions that I never get answers to. We even asked the office manager if he could *call* and bill me for an appointment, just so I could have answers. She said no, he doesn't do that. What a $#&$&#& joke.

Fast forward five years: I’ve done fairly well in several respects, but I’ve had a couple of persistent problems that I have had to rely on my GP for. Since I am still having those issues, I am considering trying to persuade Dr. Boyce in Knoxville to see me.

Great team : Doc Watson Rocks

My first impression of Dr. Watson's office was it was clean and new. His office staff was very friendly and knowledgable. They took there time to look over all of my packet and answer all concerns that I had. They took the time needed to explain all of the surgery and the importance of aftercare. They addressed all of the risks and gave statistics for each one. They gave both overall stats and stats in their office. The only negative thing that I can think of was the wait. My appointment was at 3:00 and I didn't get in 5:30 6:00. I would most certainly recommend him to someone else.

Dr. Watson was wonderful. The office staff was helpful and friendly.

'MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF DR WATSON WAS HE WAS STRAIGHT FORWARD