Dennis C. Smith, Jr. Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS, FASMBS

He's very businesslike and seems focused on the practical, especially as far as getting insurance approval. His staff is ultra-friendly and they worked really hard to get me approved.

After meeting Dr. Smith on February 16, 2001 my confidence in him appears to be well-founded. He was obviously very tired but took the time to answer my questions. He didn't seem to have much of a sense of humor but that could have been due to his having been tired. He is very serious, precise and concerned when it comes to making sure that the patient have all their questions answered and that they are fully aware of the risks involved in weight loss surgeries. That you be aware of and willing to follow the post operative instructions is of great concern to him. He does a slide presentation for the patients outlining the different surgeries, their risks, post operative requirements, results of not following post-op regimen and answers any questions the patients have concerning anything about the surgeries. I get the impression that he would not hesitate to tell a patient that he doesn't think they would be a good candidate or that they are risking their lives by not following instructions. He's a straight shooter and I really like that in a man. ;-) LOL

As far as the negative side of things there isn't much to mention. His office staff is so swamped that they don't answer calls as quickly as you need them to at times and he is slow to respond to e-mails quite frequently. His schedule is such that getting a date for surgery with him is only possible if you're willing to wait for several months and they will not schedule the surgery until you have insurance approval.

Overall my rating for Dr. Smith is a 10+. His staff would have to get a 6 due to the apparent disorganization but they are working very hard to improve this. As for the competence of this surgeon...his record speaks for itself. To my knowledge he has had no complications to speak of in 200 cases. When you combine that with the obvious care and concern that this man has for the morbidly obese, he is well worth the travel and the waiting involved.

Update: 06/27/01
My first impressions of Dr. Smith seem to have been correct. On our meeting with him on the 20th of June, he was very nice and seemed concerned with helping our daughters. He was point blank about one of them being too large to have the surgery and her need to lose at least 25 pounds prior to the surgery date. He was very pleased at my changes and my weight loss. He informed us of some changes in the post op regimen. Studies have shown that most patients do not need the protein supplements after being 6 weeks post op. He and I even had a picture made and he requested that I send him a six months post op picture and that he keep a pre-op photo of me. We really like this guy! Also the group has added on to the staff. This addition is a wonderful lady named Donna who is now doing the scheduling. This has helped greatly.

Dr. Smith has been wonderful in answering all my questions about this surgery. His staff has also been great. I completely trust Dr. Smith with my surgery. I will post more, once I have the surgery in October.

I had my first appointment with Dr. Smith on Apr. 12,2001. I was so excited to be there, that I don't remember exactly what he said. I do remember thinking that his voice on the video we watched was very caring and compassionate. I had a recent EKG, a letter from my orthopedist and a copy of my sleep study report with me. He wants me to see a cardiologist and a pulmonologist (?). I have already set that up, I guess now I have to wait. Dr. Smith's staff was very nice to me. As far as I can tell from my experience with them, they are also caring and compassionate.

My surgery was 3/22/01! Dr Smith and his staff are amazing! What a wonderful surgeon!

1/26/01 - I HAVE BEEN APPROVED!! I AM NOW WAITING ON A SURGERY DATE!!! DR. SMITH'S STAFF IS AWESOME!

1/24/01- Coty is terrific to work with!! She is being very helpful and prompt with returning calls. I am almost done with all of the preop testing and waiting for official approval from the insurance company. Hoping for a March surgery date.

10/27/00 I have completed the questionaire and submitted it to his email address with several questions. 11/2 - faxed in questionaire - Cody confirmed receipt
11/3-received email from Dr. Smith re: questionaire and insurance.
11/3- received phone call from PCP re: referral and my first appt with Dr Smith is 11/16!
11/16 - Met w/Dr. Smith - he is a very humble, kind, talented man. He spent about 2 hours with me answering questions & discussing the surgery. He is now working on my LOMN, I am getting letters from my PCP and OBGYN to help with the insurance. I am VERY pleased I chose Dr. Smith!
12/14- Coty mailed letters to Aetna for predetermination.

Met with Dr Smith on Friday, 2/9 for my information session and one-on-one visit with him. I knew immediately that I had just met with the man who will save my life. He is very factual in his presentation, and does this in a small group setting (up to 5 people). He specializes in laparoscopic procedures, and does both the RNY and BPD/DS. He describes the risks/benefits of each procedure in detail. He will discuss which procedure he feels is better for you based on your BMI, personal preferences, etc when he meets with you after the presentation. Come prepared with questions - odds are he'll answer most of them through the course of the presentation, but he's willing to spend the time with you after to go over individual concerns. He is very flexible with out-of-town patients when it comes to getting clearances for surgery. He requires approx. a two week stay in the area (1 wk pre-op if you need to meet with local specialists, and one wk post-op). He is now preparing a letter for my insurance company, which takes him about two weeks. If all goes well, I should be accepted and approved by mid-March. The problem is his backlog of approved patients -I will be waiting until May or June for a surgery date because he only does a few procedures each month. I know I made a face when he told me that, but he was quick to point out that it took me a while to get to where I am now...and he's right! Bottom line, this is a caring man with great credentials who has a passion for what he does. He will be worth the wait!

I thought Dr. Smith was very professionall as well as compassionate.He was very informative and took the time to answer any questions and to help in any way.The office staff has been good to me.I think they are in the process of growing and we all know with growth there are things that change for the better.I would have no problems recommending Dr. Smith.Coty has been wonderful about being helpful and returning phone calls.It helps when a the surgeon has a wonderful assistant as Coty is.It was very frustrating during the time of waiting for a surgery date.I never could get Wendy to return my calls.I feel this situation will improve with time as growth continues.

Dr. Smith was awesome! He is so compassionate and caring. He is a by the book doctor. The office staff was very pleasant and helpful. His slide show covered everything from beginning to end. Didn't leave much room for question. The one on one was nice, took time to actually talk to you about how you felt. In our discussion we talked about my OB/GYN and how she was in agreement to this. He stopped and wanted her name and address so he could send her a letter thanking her for not bashing this. That takes a caring person to even care what someone else thought. He is hopeful that my insurance will approve.

very gentle, kind understanding man. My impression of Dr. Smith has remained the same throughout this process. His office staff is too busy but very nice & helpful. My favorites are Mary, Wendy and Lee.
Dr. Smith was very thourough in explaining all the risks and aftercare requirements. I had the operation (a duodenal switch) on 11-7-2000 and have lost 70 lbs. I had a smooth operation (totally lap) and easy recovery and am doing well. Thank you Dr. Smith!!