Ronald H. Clements Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr.Clements was very nice, he was informative
and answered all the questions I asked. He assured me that he could and would help me.I had a pretty long wait after I got to the examination room, so, make sure you bring something to read. He still gave me adequate time to discuss all the questions I had on my list. He commented on the pictures I had of him, especially the one I had of him while he was at Vanderbilt.
Yes, I researched him very throughly and all my research proved to be just as I pictured when I first met him, he is very impressive.Dr. Clements spoke very matter of fact about the aftecare program and insisted that If I was not going to abide by the rules and get aftercare don't have the surgery. I met Michelle, the person who handles the insurance claims, she was quite informative, and helpful. As a person who has done extensive research to find the best doctor and staff; for me, I feel like I have done JUST THAT!

I was very pleased with Dr. Clements in the beginning. I think he did a wonderful job with the surgery. Dr. Clements took a lot of time to answer my questions and tell me about possible complications (with the exception of the losing hair thing..that was a surprise). My biggest complaint, at first, was his office staff. They never seemed to have it together. I am now one year post op. I have noticed with the growing popularity of this surgery, that I now feel more like a numbered patient than a patient with an actual name. I think it's wonderful that this surgery has and will benefit so many people who (like myself) didn't have any other options left.

My first impression of Dr. Clements was wonderful. I think he is a great doctor and he really stresses all aspects of the surgery, good and bad. I feel more comfortable about everything now that I have met with him. His staff was also GREAT!His nurse Kellie was really nice and understanding and also Michelle which handles the insurance was really nice and patient. They were all very informative. Dr. Clements really stressed the aftercare and the importance of strictly following the diet. Also stressed the need for all follow-ups. I would definitely rate them a 10.

My first impression was YES!!! When Anna and I arrived we watched a video and was pleasantly surprised to find out our doctor was the young one. He sat down with my husband and I and asked questions about my lifestyle and health. He stresses support from your support person and talked to us about the changes I would go through. Not only physical but emotional. He is very strict about aftercare and said if I am not going to follow through with this he would prefer not to go any further. He was very plain about the risks of surgery. He mentioned statistics and the very remote possibility of serious problems or even death. I think he is a 10+. His staff was great when we were in there talking to them face to face, but getting things done over the phone was a little more difficult. He is moving to another location and will be working out of UAB beginning in Sept. Sept 14, 2001 I saw Dr Clements in his new office at Kirklin Clinic and we scheduled my surgery date for 09-25-01. Then I went down to pre-registration test where they did blood work, and ekg and I spoke with the anasteologist and he told me what to expect and asked if I had questions. I took care of everything in one building. Very nice
We ran into a snag the morning of surgery. A placenta previa c-section, a leaking annurism, and 3 organ donors came into the hospital that morning. All elective surgery was cancelled. Dr. C. has just moved to this hospital, a teaching hospital, and he was very upset that we had been bumped. He was very gracious and let us know up front that although these situations could not be prevented his main concern was his patient. He went to bat for me and within a few hours had worked something out and I was in surgery that afternoon by 4:30. I liked him already but this pushed his approval rating over the top for me.

I am confident in Dr. Clements abilities. He is direct and open about the surgery and what it will take to make your weight loss a sucess. My surgery date was November 20, 2000. During surgery, Dr. Clements found I had Gall Stones. My Gallbladder had to be removed. My surgery was open due to scar tissue from a previous surgery. I developed 2 wound infections after surgery which caused a delay in my recovery. Before surgery I took two different medicines for diabities and a medicine for high blood pressure. I now take B-12 shots monthly, a vitamin and an iron pill, daily. I have dropped 124 pounds and my diabetes and high blood pressure are are under control through diet and exercise.
I recently had an appointment with Dr. Clements at his new office at the Kirkland Clinic. The building seems a little big, but everyone was friendly. I have a hernia that developed because of the wound infection. Dr. Clements is in the process of getting approval to take care of the hernia and the excess skin on my stomach.
The only negative comment that I have is about Dr. Clements' office staff. The person who filed my information to Blue Cross made several mistakes and took a long time to get the paper work completed and to the insurance. My suggestion is that you take the initiative and follow up with both the office staff and your insurance.

I HAVE MY FIRST CONSULT WITH DR. RONALD CLEMENTS IN BIRMINGHAM ON 09/12/01. HE DOES THE RNY LAP. I HOPE THAT HE CAN HELP ME. I WIL POST LATER.
SHERRI

I FINALLY MET DR.RONALD CLEMENTS IN BIRMINGHAM. HE JUST AS I EXPECTED. HE HAS SERIOUS BUT KIND. HE SAID HE COULD HELP ME AND MY TWIN SISTER. WE ARE TRYING TO BE APPROVED FOR RNY LAP. HE HAS PERFORMED ATLEAST 125 LAPS. I AM DRIVING 6HRS TO USE HIM AND AFTER MEETING HIM AND HIS INSURANCE LADY (MICHELE) I THINK I MADE A GREAT CHOICE.

SHERRI

There is only one thing I can say for Dr.Ronald Clements, HE IS A GODSEND. Dr. Clements is a wonderful surgeon. I first went to see him on 5/25/01 and back for my second consultation on 7/10/01 when my surgery was scheduled for 8/2/01 at Carraway Methodist Hospital in Birmingham. On the day of my surgery, Dr. Clements found some problems when he started my WLS procedure and decided it was best to do a liver biopsy and wait for the results before deciding if he could go ahead with the procedure. All my friends had been praying for God to guide the hands of my surgeon during this time and I really believe that He did. Dr. Clements knew that something was wrong and he stopped so I feel that he did not put me at risk, because I could have died on the operating table if he had not known what he was doing. In my eyes, THERE IS NO ONE BETTER THAN DR. CLEMENTS. After this time he has called me twice with results of tests that he did during the after the surgery and even went so far as to contact a professor at the University of Virginia Medical Center to get his opinion. This makes him an outstanding person to me. Dr. Clements will be moving his office to UAB after 8/20/01 and he will be referring me to a liver specialist there for a surgical clearance to proceed with my WLS. I also appreciate the time that Dr. Clements spent with my family explaining what he found during the procedure, showing them pictures he made, etc. Before, during and after the procedure he has kept me well informed as to what is going on. I would rate Dr. C. a 10+, he is excellent.

Doctor Clements has great bedside manner. He was the most caring doctor I have ever been to. He wanted me to know this is a life long commitment and that my life will be different and I must take my vitamins and come back for my post-op visits. The hardest part of this surgery is getting the approval documents gathered up and it took seven months before I had surgery. I would recommend Dr. Clements to anyone. He and the resident doctors came in at all hours to check on me.

DR. RONALD CLEMENTS IS A VERY CARING AND COMPASSIONATE PHYSICIAN AND HAS ONLY HIS PATIENTS BEST INTEREST AT HEART. HE WANTS TO SEE HIS PATIENTS SUCCEED IN THEIR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS AND IS WILLING TO HELP YOU ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS. HE SHOW YOU A VIDEO ON YOUR FIRST VISIT TO THE OFFICE--THIS VIDEO EXPLAINS IN DETAIL THE SURGERY TO BE DONE. HE THEN COMES IN AND TALKS TO YOUR GROUP AND ANSWERS ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE MAY HAVE. AFTER THAT, EVERYONE IS THEN PUT IN AN EXAM ROOM WHERE DR CLEMENTS COMES IN AND TALKS TO YOU INDIVIDUAL. AT THIS TIME HE GOES OVER YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY AND ANSWERS ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. EVERYTHING WAS HANDLED IN A VERY EFFICIENT MANNER AND MY SURGERY WAS SCHEDULED SOON AFTER I HAD MY SLEEP STUDY (A REQUIREMENT BEFORE SURGERY). DUE TO HIS BUSY SCHEDULE I HAVE TO WAIT SIX WEEK BEFORE SURGERY BUT I AM TAKING THIS TIME TO TRY AND EXERCISE (WALKING AND SWIMMING) AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO GET MYSELF INTO THE BEST POSSIBLE SHAPE BEFORE SURGERY.

My first impression of Dr. Clements was of compassion.He told me that this a big step and advised me to be sure.His office is very busy but knowledgable. Dr. Clements places alot of stress of after care and follow up.I did alot of reading on this before I ever considered having this surgery.