Jaime Ponce Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

He was very nice and explained the surgery well. He explained to me things I would need to change about my current level of diet and exercise. His staff are very friendly, one of them (that I know of) has also had the surgery.

I am sorry that I implied that DR.PONCE was already my docter .I have been researching and have narrowed down to HAMILTON MEDICAL CENTER in DALTON,GA. which is where DR.PONCE is.So far they have best "PATIENT FINANCING" available although their interest rate has gone from 4.92% to 12.92%! Apparently 4.92% was a special they were offering during month of December!I am hoping I can get some more info thru someone at OBESITYHELP.COM concerning "self-pay" and any other patient financing sources out there that has lower interst rates. The docter that referred me to obesityhelp.com was my family doctor of many years ,DR.GARY HUNT in Blue Ridge,Ga.He was not in favor of any bariactric surgery until his nurse started researching LAP-BAND surgery and shared her findings with him.Due to the fact that my "MODERATE DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE in my right knee was getting worse, combined with my diagnosis of osteoarthritis in both my legs ,feet,and back from several years.and my urine incontinence was increasing,and the cortisone injections were not helping for more than a few days and he was real concerned about amount of meds I was havig to take to even be able to tolerate the pain,along w/knee brace and cane when needed,and the added fact that I had adopted a year ago just before my joint disease worsened 2 special needs children and I still own and operate a THERAPEUDIC CHILDRENS HOME -having cared for 24-7 ,over a period of 8yrs. 115 special needs children. DR.HUNT decided that I needed to seriously consider LAP-BAND SURGERY and he would be the referring physcian .

He looks very young despite the amount of experience that he has with the lap band. I went to one of his informational meetings where he gave a long in depth lecture that was so helpful. It was not a commercial about why you should choose him. He included the good and bad of the procedure, which I appreciated. I left the meeting feeling confident in my decision to have him be my surgeon. There are surgeons in Atlanta, which is much closer to me, but going to Dalton is worth it. Dr. Ponce has so much more experience and has excellent results compared to others that I researched. His staff has also been VERY patient with me. I know I have been a pain with all of my calls and questions!

I was very impressed with Dr. Ponce's understanding of a weight problem and that diet's don't work. He seemed to geninually care about his patients and wants to see them suceed.

He insist on follow-up and is associated with a hospital department Hamilton Surgical Weight Mgt who assist by providing follow-up information and an on-going support group that is great.

I would say that Dr. Ponce is a great surgeon and very well respected.

I met Dr. Ponce at at seminar about weight loss surgery - they discussed lap rny and adjustable lap-band procedure. Very informative - very upbeat. Made my consultation appointment at the seminar. Very impressed with the whole staff. Memorial Weight Loss Management offers spirtual counseling, psychological counseling, nutrionist, etc. They had videos showing the entire procedure and after watching it he came in asking if I had any questions. His staff includes ladies who have had the lap-band procedure and they were also at the seminar to answer any questions.

I met with Dr Ponce, Monday, May 13th, 2002. He is a very nice person. He seems to really be interested in his patients. I asked him "why did you choose to be a bariatric surgeon?" This was his answer: "Let's say that your husband comes in and I remove his gallbladder, I never see him again, I helped him, but that's it. With an obese patient, after the surgery, I will see them. Changed, happy, a new person. I like the fact that I can really help change their lives. That answer was the one I wanted to hear.

Dr. Ponce is the greatest! He and his staff were so wonderful I wish every experience could be like this one.
He is one of the most experienced lapband surgeons in the US and I highly recommend him.

My first impression of Dr. Ponce is that he is warm and caring. He is not after the money either and never comes across as that. My impression has not changed about him it has only grown into deep admiration. His office staff is great and willing to work with anyone to help them to get insurance coverage. There is nothing I dislike about Dr. Ponce or his staff. Everyone should know that he is the most experienced lap band Dr. in the US and all of his patients have had great success. Aftercare is a main concern of his office staff and him. They have monthly meetings for both the information for new people looking into weight loss surgery and one for the actual patients who are losing weight. He does a consultation which is very lengthy and discribes everything and answers all concerns. He can advises you to talk with his patients to see how they are doing during new patient meetings. I would rate him on a scale of 1-10 10 being the highest an 11. He goes above and beyond the call of duty to help anyone who needs this as an option get it done. In my opinion both are important and Dr. Ponce has done a super job at impressing me with both a great bed side amnner and with the competence he had with doing my surgery and others.