Peachtree Surgical and Bariatrics Bariatric Center

--Dr. Duncan is almost of a celebrity status aroud here. He is one of the leading Bariatric Surgeons in the Atlanta area, does a shot on one of the Atlanta news stations and has preformed several high-profile surgeries on high risk patients. I know several of his patients personally and they have dropped hundreds of pounds with no complications and he has done well over 1000 surgeries and growing. I found him straight forward about what he expects from me and what he will provide. He has a good sense of humor, a good bedside manner but is no nonsense about the surgery. If you gain one pound after he sees you he will not do your surgery.
--His office staff is wonderful. They are good at their jobs but not to busy to help you. Some of the staff are former patients and really do understand what you are going through. The only bad things are access to his office is HORRIBLE! I have a hard time walking and I thought I would die before I got there. Also on days you go for a visit expect to stay all day, my last office visit was over three hours mostly waiting.

I first saw Dr. Duncan several years ago, because my mammogram showed that I had a suspicious lump. He looked at the x-rays and examined me, and said that if it shows up again next year to come back. Well, he was right, it must have been a spot on the film and I was clear the next year. He could have rushed me into biopsy or something, but I liked the fact that he didn't rush. Loved his sence of humor and bedside manner.

When I first thought about gastric bypass surgery I contacted his office to see if he did this type of surgery. They said yes. The doctor is great, he has a real heart for obese folks and wants to help them. So I started the ball rolling. Most of the staff is friendly and competent. I had one problem and afterward I started dealing only with Joyce Hilliard everything went well with insurance clearance, etc.

Karen Brown is a real GOD SEND, she has had the surgery and works in Dr. Duncan's answering any questions regarding surgery (pre-op and post-op).

Also, when I did have some complications after surgery I called Susan Cali at the Wellness center and she guided me through what I should do.

I only saw him personally once before the surgery and haven't seen him since, but have seen other members of his staff. Surgery went great and his surgical competence (lap surgery) is awesome, and any complications I have had since the surgery did not relate to the surgery. I will probably get to see him on my next visit, which is July 24th.

Dr. Duncan seems like a dynamic, caring, intelligent, good looking and very funny person. I am rather disappointed that I never got a chance to meet the man one-on-one during my pre-op. Most of his appointments are done in group sessions. Be prepared for lots of sitting & waiting and moving from one room to another. This is my only complaint so far about my experience.

Also another important thing you should know about Dr. Duncan and his bariatrics practice is that when you have the surgery, more than likely, his associates will be the ones performing the actual procedure itself. Dr. Duncan is present during the surgery and does assist during 1 critical piece of the procedure, but, for the most part, depends on his associates to handle the majority of the work. Rest assured his associates are highly trained and specialize in this type of surgery and are supervised by Dr. D himself. You should feel confident that if Dr. Duncan has chosen these other physicians to be his associates, they are top-notch individuals.

I have never been impressed with anyone on his office staff with the exception of Karen Brown. She is such a wonderful person and I cannot say enough good things about her. She has been through the surgery herself so she can tell of her experiences first hand. She is friendly, comforting, positive, uplifting and a true joy to be around. This is a very busy practice so I'm sure everyone else on his staff are overworked. The office at times does seem somewhat disorganized. I've been put on hold for long periods of time waiting for simple questions to be answered, gotten attitude from a few of the staff too (for absolutely no reason). Appointment times are changed mid-stream without patient notification. My suggestion is to be patient and courteous and do all the follow-ups on questions, appointment times, etc. yourself. Do not depend on this office to return your phone calls. Karen Brown was the only one courteous enough to have ever returned any of my phone calls.

I didn't actually meet Dr. Duncan until about one and a half weeks prior to surgery. My first impression was that he was too young to be taking my life into his hands. I promptly turned that negativity over to a higher power and relaxed.
The office staff are professional and courteous but if you want something done like fighting with the insurance carrier--do it yourself.
We do have support group meetings the 3rd Saturday and the 2nd Thursday monthly at the Atlanta Medical Center's Wellness Center.
We were informed that 1/20 or 30 patient dies during or immediately after surgery.
Dr. Duncan is the best in the area and I'm glad I was led to him and his staff.
As for surgical competence vs. bedside manner, I like my doctor to have both. I need for him/her to know their stuff and be cordial. Dr. Duncan possesses both qualities.

Thank you, Dr. Duncan

I have yet to meet Dr. Duncan but I do watch him on Fox 5 News. I will meet him at my pre-op appt. on July 3rd. I cannot say enough about his staff. I had a huge bump in the road and they bent over backwards to help accommodate me. They are truly compassionate about their jobs. His staff has been very helpful and very honest, never promising something they could not provide. The amount of patients they deal can cause some confusion at times but stand your ground (nicely), your patience will be rewarded! But be reminded, this is just MY opinion. Others may have different experiences. :)

July 4, 2003 I had my pre-op day yesterday. Notice I said day not appointment. That is because it takes all day. The reason it takes so long you ask? Because the first five hours are spent with the staff and Dr. Duncan. I cannot begin to tell you how much I liked Dr. Duncan. Not only is he intelligent and well spoken but also he is hilarious to boot. Humor always helps in situations where there may be fear and nerves running rampant. He explained every thing in great detail and in laymen’s terms. When I met with him personally I did not feel rushed at all. I know with AMOS using different doctors that is a regular complaint. He answered every question I had. I believe Dr. Duncan feels passionate about what he is doing. He says your success is 10% what he does and 90% what you do. I would encourage anyone considering a gastric bypass to meet with Dr. Duncan. You won't be disappointed! Also, I did a ton of research on different docs in Georgia my first question was what is your complication rate and mortality rate? Dr. Duncan's was the lowest. I have heard him referred to as the "King of the Lap RNY!" Again I preface all of this with the fact that this is my personal experience only.

I love Dr Duncan. He has a wonderful bed side manner, great personality, and humor. His staff is very friendly and helpful. Dr Duncan has a seminar before surgery with a group of patients and explains what will be happening and eplains what to expect. He answers questions at this time also. He is one of the finest doctors I have ever had the pleasure to meet and I feel comfortable talking to him.

He is so funny! I really enjoyed the support group that I went to a few months ago. He came and spoke. They also had a film crew there from the BBC network, doing a piece on obesity and weight loss. It was very informative.

Everyone at Dr Duncans office is great. They are patient with you and eager to help you. When I met Dr Duncan, he was funny (made it easy for us to talk with him) and he explained things about the surgery in detail with us and it also helped that he's a cutie :-) I am glad I chose him and can't wait until my surgery June 20, 2003!!

First impression of Dr. Duncan was that he had a great sense of humor but very serious, too. The office staff are terrific and responsive but extremely busy. Dr. Duncan has not spent much time with me but I don't feel much need since everyone else has been real helpful. Expect to wait a long time for a surgery date, a consult date and also expect to feel a little like you are in a herd of cattle since both pre-op and 1 month post-op appointments include group meetings. It is efficient but loses its personal touch. Dr. Duncan has a fairly strict post-op diet but is excellent at explaining risks of surgery.

Met Dr. Duncan personally on May 22. What an amazingly dynamic man. He has a good sense of humor and knows how to make you feel comfortable. He does not sugar coat the facts and wants you to be well informed so you make the right decisions. My surgery date is currently scheduled for June 2. Karen Brown in his office is great, she is a post op patient of his and she is our liason and is full of first hand knowledge of the surgery. After surgery, I will update more. I am nervous, but this is surgery, and I should be nervous!