David Spencer Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

On 2/17/06 I met with Dr. Spencer. I must say that I did get that warm fuzzy feeling when I met Dr. Spencer. He introduced himself and began explaining the surgery and what to expect. Dr. Spencer stressed aftercare and the risk of surgery. I would rate Dr. Spencer a 10 overall. I read about him, he's very qualified and I feel like I am in excellent hands. After I chatted with Dr. Spencer I met with Diana Eure the Surgery Coordinator. She set up appointments for an H Pylori Test, meeting with Melodye Meyers, and scheduled a tentative surgery date of 4/18/06. I feel confident that Diana will get all the information needed for my insurance company.

I met Dr. Spencer at the Seminar for the 1st time. I was really impressed. After he talked he had his other staff speak to us & he stay there the whole time. He never left until we were all finished!
Then I met with him for my consultation 3 weeks later.
Dr. Spencer was so friendly & outspoken. He explained everything in laymans terms, I mean everything! I was able to follow along okay.
He has a great sense of humor too... I really liked that!
He assured me that he & his staff would follow-up on me the entire way, especially afterwards.
As for his staff, his nurse, Charlene was just as friendly as can be. I was real nervous the 1st time I went in & she put me at ease...she spoke with me like she's known me forever & for quite a while too! I heard Dr. Spencer is upset because Charlene is moving to Texas with her husband. He's going to miss her alot, she was his right hand person.
Diane, his surgey coordinator made all my appts. the same day. That part was so easy & it's all over.
The only part I was not happy with was the psychologist, Dr. Newfield. He & I did not get along very well...his questions were not what I expected. I thought I was there to see if I was mentally ready for this WLS, not to talk about my childhood...I was never fat as a child nor in my teens! I felt that I didn't think I need to discuss that part of my life with him at all, that's not what I was there for!
Other than that I'm really impressed with Dr. Spencer.

I have had an extremely positive experience thus far. Dr. Spencer is very professional and his staff has been very helpful with all questions I have had. My only negative thought is that my appointment time with him has been pretty short. he has explained all phases of the surgery and the risk involved. They also have a wonderful support group there at the hospital for all patients who have the surgery. His surgical competence and bedside manner are both excellent.

03/07/2006: I am 5 years out now and I couldn't be happier... Dr. Spencer is the BOMB!!! I would hug him now if he were here. This surgery was the most important decision I ever made for ME. I have a better outlook on life, am able to spend time with my child without feeling worn out after 10 minutes, and just have a happier general disposition... if you are looking for a great surgeon who is a true professional, look no further...you have found that in Dr. Spencer.

I met Dr. Spencer at a support group meeting that I attended with my friend, Sherri. Dr. Spencer saved her life with GBS and she sang his praises. I was very impressed with him that night and during the next weeks/months that followed. He is very down to earth and speaks in plain language. He does not beat around the bush so be ready for him to be honest. I was so glad he didn't beat around the bush...most people do. He was able to answer all of my questions pre-op and has helped be a cheerleader for me since surgery. I truly believe he has added years to my life. Thanks to him...I have my life back!

Dr. Spencer has a slighty dry sense of humor, but he is kind and informative. His wife had this surgery a while back, so he has seen the recovery first hand.

His staff is all first-rate. Most of my interactions have been with John, Lisa and Melodye. All three visited me in the hospital (John did twice). They also attend all the support meetings as well, so they feel like old friends instead of just staff.

I do wish he had stopped by the evening of the surgery, but I was doing fine, so I guess it wasn't necessary.

He and his staff push aftercare very hard. We are expected to continue to attend support group, to have follow-up appointments (with lap tests too) for the rest of our lives. They are willing to let our primary do some of the testing.

Dr. Spencer went over the risks many times. First, they had a seminar, that covered a lot of information and had a lot of handouts. Then we had support group, with more handouts. Then appointments with all the staff members, as well as a psychiatrist. THen another appointment with Dr. Spencer to go back over the risks. Finally there was a pre-op with a few other patients, and then some private time for questions and answers.

Dr. Spencer is top rate. His numbers speak volumes as well as the successes I see at support group. He and his team have been right there with me on the whole journey.

His bedside manner is very good, and his surgical competence is phenominal. I have some tightness around the incisions, but not pain. The only pain I have is in my back, and I have had that for years. I think once I can get into some of my more regular sleeping positions, that will go away.

I have chosen Dr. Spencer with the Tidewater Surgical Specialists as my surgeon. When I had my first consult with Dr. Spencer, he went over all the different WLS options available, the history of WLS, and the pros and cons. He was really personable and down to earth. I got the "warm" fuzzy feeling that I hoped to get. Prior to meeting him I heard nothing but wonderful things about him. I like the fact that Dr. Spencer specializes in bariatric and advanced laparoscopic surgery. The choice of the surgeon is one of the most important things, however I was also looking for a great support group to work with both me and my family.
I have met Dr. Moore (whom I had heard great things about as well) at the Information Session. He explained everything very clearly and was very personable. That day I also met the dietitan, Lisa. I could tell right off that she's good at what she does. She does the research and helps each person step by step through the different stages. I'm really excited!

Dr. Spencer was very nice. He went over my profile and explained what I should expect and when. He explained the different procedures to me during our initial visit. His office staff was very nice, friendly, and helpful. His office has a program that you must complete before surgery. They educate you well before the initial visit and during the visit. They maintain contact once a week leading up to surgery and stress the importance of following the aftercare follow-up. The doctor provides all the risks of surgery, his statistics, and his opinions on your individual risks. I think Dr. Spencer's surgical competence and bedside manner are both great.

1.Very informative
2.Grew to find out not only is he an awesome surgeon, but he is a great man who loves his family, his patients and his work - even when the load is heavy.
3. very friendly and accomadating
4. I find no faults. He tells it like it is!
5. He will do whatever he is capable of to enable you to help yourself.
6. constantly
7. yes
8. very honestly
9. 10 on 0-10 scale
10. both are equally pleasing

My first impression of Dr. Spencer was intriging and quite imformative. I heard Dr. Spencer speak at a seminar for bariatric surgery in my home town. I really enjoyed it a whole lot and recommend to anyone who wants to know more about this procedure. "MY" surgeon gave us his history and experience record. During the break, because I'm shy I asked Dr. Spencer all kinds of questions that came to mind, I was very impressed and comfortable with his responses. So, since I was comfortable I made an appointment to consult with him. I have already made my decision and I pray to god it is a good one. At the consultation I was nervous and anxious, he was patient and once again very imformative. He answer my questions in lamen answers and not medical foreign dialect. Oh, I almost forgot, while waiting in the waiting room, I had an conversation with a mother and daughter who had the surgery. The mothers' surgery was performed by Dr. Spencer, when ask about him, her replied "you pick a real good surgeon, he's very good".

I met with Dr. David Spencer on 1/21/05. Immediately I felt at ease with Dr. Spencer he assured me that they would be there for me every step of the way. He has a superb staff. Cheryl and Diana are the best. He told me he would not do the surgery unless I stopped smoking (a habit I picked back up in April of 2004).