Spencer C Payne, MD
Head and Neck Surgery
Additional Locations
Bio & Overview
Spencer Payne, MD, was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY. He’s the oldest of four kids and has a fraternal twin brother. After graduating from medical school at Stony Brook University in New York, Dr. Payne completed residency training in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit where he received the outstanding resident award.
He completed fellowship training at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA, in rhinology and sinus surgery, with a focus on endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery.
Since residency, Dr. Payne has been very active with the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery where he served on numerous committees and maintains Fellowship status. He completed a 6-year term as chair of the Information Technology Committee for the American Rhinologic Society where he also served as webmaster.
In his free time, Dr. Payne likes to spend time with his four children. When additional time permits, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and exploring the science behind a better cocktail.
Academic Information
- Department
- Otolaryngology
- Academic Role
- Professor
- Division
- General Otolaryngology
- Research Interests
- Chronic sinusitis; Mechanisms of alcohol sensitivity in Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease
- Gender
- Male
- Languages
- English
- Age Groups Seen
- Adults (21-65)
Older Adults (65+)
- Primary Education
- Stony Brook University Medical Center (2001)
- Residency
- Henry Ford Hospital (2006)
- Fellowship
- Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (2007)
- Certification
- American Board of Otolaryngology (Otolaryngology)
- Additional Specialties
- Otolaryngology, Rhinology and Sinus Surgery
Highlights
Dr. Spencer Payne video profile
My name is Spencer Payne, and I am the director of rhinology and sinus surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, here at the University of Virginia. I developed an interest in medicine simply out of a need and a desire to help people and I really enjoyed the science and the biological aspects of disease and trying to alter what was happening with people to make them better. I provide comprehensive care for patients who have problems with their nose and sinuses. Problems that range from nasal polyps to nasal congestion, sinusitis. Whether it's an infections or chronic inflammation, loss of smell. We offer both minimally invasive and yet also advanced surgical techniques to treat patients who may need surgical fixes for their problems. But we also have a lot of translationally based medicine that results from research done here with NIH funded labs that allow us to provide the foremost and advanced medical therapies for patients who have this disease. I think it's important to know that there's no one therapy that works best for any one patient and as a result we spend a lot of time trying to understand exactly what the issues are with each specific person and tailor the treatment for them. I think one of the things I find the most rewarding is when patients come back to see me after we've had our initial consultation and started a trial of therapy and they can suddenly enjoy the world again because their sense of smell has been restored. I really see how much smell affects people's ability to appreciate the world around them, enhance their memories, and even just the enjoyment of their loved ones.
Awards
- 2013-2020 Best Doctors in America® List
Reviews
622 Patient Satisfaction Ratings
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