Alan C. Wittgrove, M.D.

Dr. Alan C. Wittgrove was born and raised in Missouri. He graduated from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1972. He then attended the University of Missouri School of Medicine, graduating as a Doctor of Medicine. He served his internship and received his surgical residency training at San Diego Naval Hospital. He has served as a staff surgeon at Naval Hospitals in the Philippines, and Bremerton, Washington, and on the surgical teaching staff at San Diego Naval Hospital. He is a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, the San Diego Society of General Surgeons, the San Diego County Medical Society, and the California Medical Association. As well as the past president of the ASBS.

Dr. Wittgrove pioneered the laparoscopic approach of gastric bypass surgery, performing the first laparoscopic gastric bypass as primary surgeon in the world, in 1993. He and his program have performed over five-thousand bariatric procedures.

Dr. Konstanzer

Dr Konstanzer was born and raised in Mobile Alabama. He received his medical degree from Loma Linda University. He served in the Navy as a flight surgeon. He then started a general practice in San Diego and began assisting in Bariatric surgery. He has assisted on over 10,000 Bariatric surgeries and has been assisting Dr Wittgrove for over ten years. Dr Konstanzer is married with one son and two daughters. He enjoys golf, tennis, skiing and flying. He enjoys seeing the wonderful changes in our patients lives.

Tracy Martinez, RN, BSN ~ Program Director

Our multidisciplinary support team is lead by our program director, Tracy Martinez RN, BSN. Tracy has been working in the field of bariatric surgery for over 15 years. She has experience in recovery room / intensive care nursing as well as nursing education. She is published in Critical Care Nursing and recently authored a book chapter in Dr. Martin’s book “Obesity Surgery”. Tracy is the immediate past chairperson of the Allied Health section of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, she consults nationally for several corporations in the field of bariatrics, is the co-chair for the International Federation of Surgery for Obesity, Allied Health Section, and is on the Governing Board of the Surgical Review Corporation (the corporate tasked with certifying “Centers of Excellence” in bariatric surgery).

Cathy S. Reto, Ph.D.

Dr. Reto is a clinical psychologist in private practice in San Diego and is the consulting program psychologist for Wittgrove Bariatric Center. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Washington and holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology – San Diego. She specializes in Eating and Weight Disorders and Trauma Recovery. As a clinician, she has worked in the area of bariatrics since 1998, running support groups, conducting pre-surgical evaluations, and offering individual therapy and post-surgical coaching. Dr. Reto is also a registered nurse and obtained her A.A. in Nursing at Youngstown State University. She has over 25 years experience in nursing that includes peri-operative care of gastric bypass patients.

Dr. Robert Eric Dinenberg

Dr. Robert Eric Dinenberg was born in San Antonio, Texas and raised in La Jolla, California. He graduated with Honors in Anthropology from UCLA with thesis work in Mind/Body Medicine. He received his medical degree from Hahneman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, and then completed an internship in Family Practice at Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he also completed training in Medical Acupuncture (UCLA Acupuncture for Physicians) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (University of Massachusetts Teacher Development Intensive). He is a Founding Diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine.

Dr. Dinenberg teams with his wife, Trisha Dinenberg (a certified yoga instructor, massage therapist and personal trainer), to offer wellness programs to individuals, companies and universities. Dr. Dinenberg teaches lifestyle tools for wellness, stress reduction and peak performance to individuals and groups and is the author of Mindfullness and Peak Performance :Touch the Ground, Touch the Sky.

Dr. Ryan Dominguez, M.D.

I am a native southern Californian growing up in the Los Angeles suburb of Claremont. I then attended the University of California, San Diego for my undergraduate degree; obtaining a BS in Biology, and a minor in Spanish Literature. I was a merit scholar while attending Medical College of Pennsylvania-Hahnemann School of Medicine, graduating in 1999. I then came back to California to do my internship at Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa and finished my residency in Family Medicine at Long Beach Memorial Hospital.

I started private practice in La Jolla, CA in August of 2002 and now practice both there and in Scripps Ranch. I developed an interest in Sports Medicine and Preventative Health and continue those focuses today. In my free time I enjoy playing soccer, spending time with my family, especially my 18 month old daughter Simone and of course rooting the Chargers to victory.

Trisha Dinenberg, C.Y.I., M.T., P.T.

I am Trisha Dinenberg, Certified Yoga Instructor, Mat Pilates Instructor, Massage Therapist and Personal Trainer. I am the Fitness Coordinator for the program. I teach yoga and fitness practice for people one on one and for groups of people in a class setting. Last season I was the yoga instructor for the San Diego Padres.

I graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara, lived in Spain for a year, and then worked in the corporate world in Los Angeles in sales and advertising for 5 years. I then made a career change, completing teacher training in Yoga from the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, California in order to be a healing part of people's lives. I love helping people with their health and well being and am currently pursuing a Holistic Healthcare Practitioner degree.

Sue Martin

My name is Sue Martin. I am the surgery scheduling coordinator for the program. I have worked here for 8 years. I love what I do, because I get to make the call people have been waiting for. Patients are excited to hear from me and I am thrilled every time, to be a part of their journey to find health.

La Vette Johnson

My name is La Vette Johnson. I have worked for the bariatric program for nine years, as a Financial Analyst. Over the years, I have watched the program grow into the center of excellence that it is today. What I enjoy the most about my job is the interaction that I have with the patients. It is very fulfilling to meet a patient on the day of their pre-operative visit as they begin their journey and see them again months later when they stop by to request a financial statement of their account or to purchase vitamins. A great deal of the time, I do not even recognize them. It is rewarding to be able to see that what we do here and all of the hard work really makes a difference in people’s lives.

Shirley Singletary

Welcome to our practice. My name is Shirley Singletary. I am an insurance analyst and have been a part of the team for 9 years. I love what I do so much and it allows me the gratification of being a part of a new beginning in a person’s life.

Sandra Talaro

My name is Sandra Talaro and I am one of the insurance analysts for the program. I have been working with the doctors for about 7 years. I truly love my job. I feel so much joy at being a part of helping people start a new beginning in their life. This gives me so much gratification being part of this process and to work with great doctors.

Dana Hicks

My name is Dana Hicks and I manage the Front Desk here in the office for 8 years. What I love most about my job is the interaction I have with patients before, during and after surgery. Seeing patients come in for the first time on their pre-operative day and beginning their journey of a new and healthy lifestyle is so rewarding. It is also rewarding to watch patients come into the office for their follow up visits, to pick up vitamins or just to stop by and say hello and see the wonderful and positive changes in them.

Dee Adkins, RMA

A native New Zealander, raised in Southern California since age 9. As a soldier in the U.S. Army, I was fortunate to do my tour of duty in Kitzingen, Germany and while there, visit Paris, France. Being married to a U.S. Marine, has provided me the opportunity to drive two cross country road trips, crossing through and visiting over 20 United States. Though I can say that "Little Rhodi" was the most beautiful state in the spring time, San Diego is undoubtedly the most incredible place to be all year round. If you ever have the opportunity to meet the surgeons and staff here at Wittgrove Bariatric Center, you couldn't meet a more genuine caring group of people elsewhere in the world. I truly look forward to meeting every one of our patients and having the privilege to learn of their personal trials, triumphs and adventurous new experiences.

Martha McNaughton

My name is Martha McNaughton; I am the administrated assistant for Dr. Wittgrove and Tracy Martinez (Program Director). I am honored to work for the first Doctor that performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass as primary surgeon in the world.

I have been working for Dr. Wittgrove for almost 2 years and I love what I do, and also enjoy seeing the changes in our patients.

I enjoy going for walks and I believe in exercising at least 5 days a week and treating yourself once in a while to something that you enjoy eating.

I also enjoy working with all of my co-workers here at Wittgrove Bariatric Center, I think they are all great people and that's what makes my job a lot easier.