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

Well I finally got to see doctor Spencer on a one on one and believe he is everything that I had been told and more. He does not sugar coat nothing, his job is to have imformed patients and he does a great job along with his staff, and lets not forget everybody at Portsmouth.

Dr. Spencer is very experienced with this
surgery. He is very professional and at the
same time he has a wonderful bed-side manner.
I highly recommend him to any military, or
dependants. His wait is long, but well worth
it. Going to the support group, which he
attends, is testimony after testimony of
success. His staff is super. You can tell
that there is teamwork, everyone is supportive
and upbeat. One reason that he is hard to
get in with is because after care is a priority
to him and his staff. You must follow up on
a regular basis with the nutritionist, bloodwork and
of course be evaluated. I give him and his
staff a 10!

Was very helpful in helping me get approved for this surgery.


My impressions prove to be right. I feel very comfortable with him.
Janet Johnson has been a huge help to me!



Dr. Spencer does not pull any punches. He will tell you exactly how it is, but is very helpful in the process.




Was very open about the risks, didn't try to hide anything.
10 on a scale of 1-10


I think both surgical competence and bedside manner are equally important. Dr. Spencer and his staff were very competent in both. Even Chris Zirpoli, the nutritionist and Janet Johnson, his case manager, came to my room to see how I was doing and to let me know to call them if I had any questions or problems.

Before I even met Dr. Spencer I had formed an impression. A friend from work had her surgery done through Dr. Spencer and absolutely raved about him. She said he was wonderful all around, from bedside manner to surgical competence. She also said he cared about his patients and had a great after-care program.

I must say that so far he has met the description completely. I have had my orientation and 1st appointment with him. I am now waiting on my Psych eval, then I will have my pre-op appointment with Dr.Spencer. I can honestly say that I feel completely at ease putting my life in his hands. I know he will do whatever it takes to pull me through this.

I would highly recommend Dr. Spencer. The wait is long, but if you can qualify to have it done through the military, you should if you are in the Virginia area and can get Dr. Spencer.

The only negative thing I could say about Dr. Spencer is that because he is such a great surgeon, the wait to have the surgery is quite long and can be delayed even longer since he is military and could be called away any day to defend our freedom...I'm not sure if that is actually a negative thing though, just an every day part of military life.

My first impresssion of dr. spencer was he is your typical dr. He is anything but the typical dr. The staff that surrounds dr. spencer is awesome and has experiencedthe surgery first hand so it is just a wealth of knowledge.Be patient if you get to Dr.Spencer there is wait only do this if you are serious... He is worth his weight in gold.Also if his staff tells you not to do something then don't.
You have to really do your research they ask alot of questions about your knowledge. YOu have to do a bunch of before care like all kinds of things like a an psyc eval.you deal one on one a nutrionist before and after your surgery..I think Dr. Spencer is wonderful.

After being denied the surgery by Dr Doxey by CHAMPUS I was extremely disappointed. But I was told immediately that it would be done by Dr Spencer at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. And their scheduling has changed. It is no longer a 15 - 18 month wait. It's more like 2 - 3 months and that is because of all the prep they want you to go through. They are sooo.... thorough. And I don't mind. The more preparation the better for everyone. Dr Spencer tells it like it is but is extremely caring at the same time. I think my initial disappointment is quickly changing to gratitude. I'm finding that there was a lot lacking in the prep for my intial surgery compared to what I'm seeing now.

very good doctor, i am very impressed

What can I say about Dr. Spencer...the man is wonderful. The first time I met him was during the group session where you get an overview of what is expected and what will be going on. You know they say the impression you form of someone within seconds of meeting them is usually right? Never were truer words spoken. He is sooo down to earth. He explains things in a way that you don't have to wonder what he means. (Like my old XO would say "monkey proof".)He doesn't speak down and without effort makes you feel so comfortable that comming away from your appointment YOU KNOW you're in capable hands. His mannerasims are either contageous or he has a direct link because his staff is just as wonderful as he.

my first inpression of Dr. Spencer was what a down to earth Doctor he was. He didn't use all those big medical terms, he talk to me where I could understand everything up front.His office staff " ms. Janet" is very helpful and doesn't mind answering any questions you might have. I yet have a few tests to take before I get a surgery date but I'll update as soon as I have one.

He is great and very understanding. He has a good bedside manner and really cares about his patients. He is very honest and will not sugar coat anything, so if your looking for a doctor that will tel you what you want to hear he is not it. He's handsome, and very well versed in hhis profession. Im glad hes my doc and I am very comfortable knowing that he will be the one to change my life.