Northside Hospital of Atlanta Bariatric Center

he is a GOD SEND. one of the best surgeons and nicest office staff i have ever met. being a nurse now for 10 years and having all the medical probs i had before surgery it takes alot to impress me when it comes to a doctor. sometimes i wait to see him for over 2 hours but he is worth it. he is very thorough and likes to check up with you at 1 wk, 4 wks, and 3 months, and 5 months soo far now and that is great, it shows he is concerned for your well being and progress. he has all kind of info about aftercare and even referred me to a support group in my area which is invaluable to me. he is very straight with you and tells you the truth always especially concerning risks of surgery and risks of not having surgery. he is a 15 on a scale of 1-10!!!!!!! he is excellent and compassionate and you would love him. feel free to contact him and tell him i referred you. (404) 252-0433 Tami-or PAM--- lots of love--DEB MARTINEZ

Good mechanic as far as the actual procedure went. The office staff is very helpful. Not good on post-op help as far as nutritional counseling and recommendations for eating, refers you to the book, "The Complete Guide to Obestiy Gurgery" for aftercare. Was very thorough in explaining the procedure and the risks.

I worked with Dr. Hart at Emory before he left to open his own clinic. After deciding to have the surgery, I went to him instead of going to the surgeons at Emory because I felt he was better surgeon. He is a kind, compassionate man who is willing to answer any and all questions.

All of his office staff really go out of their way to make you feel comfortable throughout the process.

I do wish he had a better aftercare program, maybe with a nutrionist.

NICE GUY, RESERVED





OFFICE WAS EXTREMELY ORGANIZED, THIS IS ALL THEY DO


HE IS VERY QUALIFIED, BUT HAS RECENTLY JOINED PRACTICE WITH DR. CHAMPION WHO IS VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE FIELD.

YES

OH YES

SO FAR 10 OF 10

DON'T KNOW YET

At age 29, 5'7", 294 lbs, BMI of 46 I am used to doctors' asking me questions like "You know you're fat, right?"... No lie. 2 years ago, a past PCP actually asked me that question the first time I ever saw her.

On the other end of the spectrum:
Dr. Hart is such a caring, comprehensive and thorough man. He wants to know everything! From the smallest detail to the largest. I had forgotten to mention my severely swelling/swollen ankles that were looking fairly good that day, but he stopped me at the end of the exam and made note of them.... Who knew a doctor would notice something like that especially since I was wearing a very long skirt that day!

The staff, especially Tonya & Lisa, are so very helpful and friendly. They have a job to do but are also know that they're "working" for you.

Liked Least: Dr. Hart is almost shy and with my upfront, go for it type of personality it took a few minutes to realize that it's not that he's not wanting to joke - which he did later on in the exam - but he's just shy.

Dr. Hart requires that all patients buy a copy of "A Complete Guide to Obesity Surgery" to use before and after. After finishing it this weekend, I would want to buy it whether or not he required it. SO much information and questions answered that I hadn't even thought of yet! Go to: www.obesitysurgerybook.com - With shipping $26.00 and it arrived in 3 days.

Dr. Hart's office has a schedule for before/after care appointments that each patient must follow to make sure that there are no complications that need to be addressed.

Dr. Hart reviewed with myself and my husband the possible complications and the worst of all complications (death) that can happen with any type of surgery. I have been so lucky to have joined a terrific once a month support group here in Atlanta - W.I.N.G.S. Around Atlanta. And my dear friend Beth M. is the Moderator and co-founder of the group. So she has been educating & directing me towards paperwork before my first appointment with Dr. Hart.

I arrived at my first appointment with Dr. Hart with the following completed:

DIET HISTORY w/BEFORE & AFTER WEIGHT
Psychologist Visit w/Dr. Santivicca (Referred to by Dr. Hart's Office - TERRIFIC PSYCHOLOGIST!) who then faxed in his okay for me to proceed as a WLS Patient
Letter of Referral from my PCP
Letter of Refferal from a past Psychologist
Letter from me to my Insurance Company explaining my co-morbidities and reasons for WLS and a Family History reflecting Obesity history.

Having a patient advocate who knows what to do and what not to do helped tremendously in compiling the above information. Dr. Hart did say that a lot of patients try this but they do not know exactly what to do or ask for so they make more work for themselves.

10/17 thru 10/20 Dr. Hart had me keep a food journal detailing each and every item that I consumed those three days, the time I ate and the amount (grams, ounces, lbs, etc). Whew! I feel so exposed.....I'm having eating guilt.

On 10/25/02 I am scheduled, thru Dr. Hart's office, to have the following tests:
ECG - Echo Cardio Gram
Dobutamine Echo - Stress Test
Arterial Blood Gases

When his office receives those results then they will send in all of my paperwork to Guardian and then I get to wait! Cross my fingers.... I wish you all everything!

I thought that Dr. Daly was very professional and very knowledgable. He was very easy to talk to and answered all of my questions without rushing me. I feel very confidant in my choice of surgeons!

He informed me of the surgery and all of it's risks, support groups (Yes, he mentioned this website), surgical procedures, and aftercare.

His staff was very friendly and informative as well. Carolyn said that I can call her anytime to check on my insurance and it wouldn't be a bother.

Overall I would rate him a nine, because nobody is perfect!!

He was very interested in me. He took a lot of time talking to me, my niece and my sister. He wanted to know what I knew about the surgery so make sure you go with a basic understanding of the surgery and the post-op. He seems to be very interested in helping me to understand everything that is involved in the process from insurance problems to a life change in eating and exercise habits. He has encouraged me to lose as much weight as possible and exercise as much as possible before the surgery so that I will be in better shape and recover quicker. I am so ready. He is a great person. His office staff is great. Lisa scheduled all the appointments I would need and set me up to come back for second visit.
Second visit was also good. Here we scheduled some more tests so that we were sure I was able to survive the surgery. We discussed the possibility of open because of my hysterectomy scars. Encouraged me to lose as much weight as possible and to exercise as much as possible to get into better shape for the surgery. Worked with Lisa again to schedule appointments and tests for surgery.
In just a little over a week after the last test, insurance approval was given. I have my third appointment with Dr. Hart on October 21st to sign consent forms.

Dr. Hart has a wonderful bedside manner. He is very supportive of our local support group WINGS. He has made visits to our meetings to explain the procedure to us and he is helping us with out holiday party. He is a great guy!!

Dr. Hart is incredibly professional and knowledgeable with an excellent reputation concerning this surgery. I have been nothing less than pleased with the care I received before and after surgery. The office staff has been fabulous. They handled everything with the insurance company, made all of my pre-surgery appointments, and alwasys responded to calls or e-mails in a timely manner. There is no structured after care program but he is readily availabl for any questions. Dr. Hart is an excellent surgeon with great bedside manner and a very caring attitude.

HE IS VERY CARING AND CONCERNED THAT I UNDERSTOOD AND AM WILLING TO DO ALL THAT IS POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITION BEFORE AND AFTER THE SURGERY. I AM SURE HE FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE TO BE THE NEW DOCTOR ON OUR BLOCK BUT HIS ASSOCIATION WITH DR. PROCTER IS ALL I NEEDED TO KNOW THAT I HAVE A TOP NOTCH SURGEON. WELL, I DID ASK HIM A FEW KEY QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD HAVE ASK ANYONE DOING SURGERY ON ME.
THE OFFICE STAFF ARE JUST THE BEST I HAVE DEALT WITH, I WAS UPSET TO START WITH BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY BLUE CHOICE OPTION FOR MY SURGERY, BUT DR. PROCTER HAS RULES AND THEY ARE FOR MY HEALTH AND I RESPECT THAT. I HAD TO JUMP THROUGH HOOPS TO GET THE FINAL APPROVAL FROM WAYNE HULON, THE THERAPIST THAT HAS HELPED ME MORE IN THAT WEEKEND THEN ANYONE IN MY LIFE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT MIND SET FOR THIS SURGERY TO BE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR YOUR WEIGHT LOSS, AND THE NEW PERSON YOU ARE ABOUT TO BECOME. I THINK I KNOW MORE ABOUT WHO I AM NOW AND THE PARTS THAT MAKE ME SPECIAL AND THE PART THAT HAS ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL UNWORTHY OF DOING AND BEING THE REAL PERSON INSIDE OF ME.
THIS IS A TOTAL WELLNESS APPROACH, I LOOKED AT THE GASTRIC BYPASS ALMOST A YEAR AGO AND PRECEEDED TO GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION I COULD. MY HUSBAND CHET IN THE MEANTIME CONTACTED A LOCAL SURGEON WHO GOT HIM IMMEDIATELY APPROVED FOR THE SURGERY, BUT THANK GOD OUR INSURANCE CO WAS ONLY WILLING TO PAY 70% TO THIS DOCTOR. HE IS AN EXCELLENT SURGEON BUT I AM CONVINCED THAT WITHOUT A FULL SUPPORT I WOULD NOT DO AS WELL AS I COULD. MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT. HE HAD SURGERY 7/10/02 ANDF HAS LOST 80 POUNDS AND FOUR INSULIN SHOTS A DAY. THANKS TO THE GOOD NUTRITION COUNSELING FROM JOY HOUSE HE KNEW WHAT TO DO TO GET ALL HIS PROTEIN AND VITAMINS NECESSARY FOR GOOD HEALTH MAINTENANCE.
MY SURGERY IS TWO DAYS FROM NOW ON 9/12/02 AND I FEEL INFORMED AND HAVE THE UTMOST CONFIDENCE IN DR. PROCTER AND DR RICHARD. I KNOW THEY WILL BE THERE FOR ME IF I HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS.

06/21/02 After talking with a friend at a support group meeting I decided to call Dr. Duncan's office and get some information. They mailed me a package on that same day and I received it the very next day. This is a very good thing. I've some paperwork to fill out while I finish my insurance and etc.

9/2/02 My appt went well. I met with Dr. Speights and Dr. Johnson for the information session and then Dr. Speights did the exam and talked like all would be a go from here (of course insurance still needs to be approved). I would have like to have met with the surgeon himself but I know that his staff is accustomed to sharing this part of the process and handles it very well.

9/9/02 I met with Dr. Hart today and I really liked being able to talk with him right away. Lisa will work on the precerts and Dr. Hart will look over my other tests that have been done and I may need to update my bloodwork. But I've decided on my surgeon and I'm on my way!!