John Pilcher

I love my job, because I get to help people reclaim the health and life they deserve. I’ve been doing bariatric surgery since 1995, and I’ve been on the forefront as surgery has become steadily safer and more effective. I’m now working on robotic techniques for bariatric surgery so that our patients can improve even more quickly and more reliably. I believe that in the next 10 years we’ll have improved diagnostic testing for obesity so that we can provide treatment that is targeted to the particular aspects of each patient’s obesity disease, leading to revolutionary improvements in access to care and outcomes. I’ve personally performed over 3,500 bariatric operations, recently focused on Gastric Sleeve and Gastric Bypass procedures at a pace of 6-12 operations each week. I’ve been placing gastric balloons since January of 2016, and I believe the balloon is a strong addition to our spectrum of available treatments for those who suffer from obesity. I am a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, having been a member since 1998. I am a Fellow of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, having been a member since 1999. I am a founding member of the Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery. I have served as a proctor, instructor, and resource for Bariatric Surgeons throughout Texas and nationally as well; in this role I have taught Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric Band, and revision bariatric surgery. I am currently a consultant and surgeon instructor for Intuitive (surgical robot) and for ReShape (gastric balloon). I am honored to serve as a site reviewer for the bariatric surgery Quality Improvement Program at the American College of Surgeons. I am a member of the Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Committee at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.