Houston Methodist Division of Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery

The Houston Methodist Division of Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery is a nationally recognized leader in the field. Committed to elevated standards, transparency in outcomes and active involvement in education and research, we are united by a shared goal of improving patient health and well-being through weight loss and resolution of comorbidities. Our mission rests on three core pillars: delivering clinical excellence in weight loss and obesity-related disease management, advancing our field through research and innovation, and disseminating best practices and innovations nationally by training future leaders in bariatric surgery.  

As a tertiary care center, we have the experience and resources to take on the complex and challenging cases few other centers can. Our surgeons employ advanced minimally invasive and robotic techniques to treat some of the most challenging gastrointestinal conditions, including high-risk, re-operative and revisional procedures often not available at other centers, offering trainees exposure to a breadth and depth of cases rarely available elsewhere.  

The division also offers medical weight loss options. We are affiliated with the Houston Methodist Center for Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery, the only comprehensive center of its kind in Houston. This center provides integrated care through medical, surgical, lifestyle and behavioral interventions, supporting patients in achieving sustainable weight loss and improved health outcomes.  

In addition to weight management services, our experience in dealing with patients with severe obesity makes us the surgeons of choice for all general abdominal surgical care in this patient population. We are often brought in by our surgical colleagues to perform general surgical procedures, emergent and otherwise, on patients with severe obesity. 

Houston Methodist board-certified bariatric surgeons are united by a deeply embedded ethos of quality, an intrinsic value that guides every aspect of the division’s work.  

To operationalize this commitment, we have developed a systemwide quality improvement initiative anchored by the Bariatric Quality Scorecard — a real-time, surgeon-specific analytics platform that surpasses national benchmarks. Unlike semiannual national reports (e.g., ACS), this tool delivers quarterly updates and individual performance metrics, enabling timely peer comparisons and targeted interventions to continuously elevate care.  

Our experts use, develop and provide education in the most advanced and least-invasive surgical weight loss approaches available, including sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and Single Anastomosis Duodenal Switch (SADI), a cutting-edge procedure offering metabolic benefits for select patients. With a high volume of complex revisional cases, the division offers unparalleled exposure to challenging surgical scenarios, enhancing both clinical expertise and educational value. 

Cross-disciplinary collaboration is a hallmark of our academic mission. Surgeons work closely with the Division of Abdominal Transplant and the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center to optimize transplant eligibility for patients with obesity-related comorbidities. This includes pre-transplant weight loss interventions and post-transplant bariatric care — an area of growing national relevance due to its complexity and impact on immunosuppression management. 

Our surgeons and faculty are heavily involved in education of surgical trainees and are active participants in the Houston Methodist Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Health. We are also actively involved with national societies such as the American College of Surgeons (ACS), American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). 

Our Faculty ➝   Our Physicians ➝ 

Research is a foundational pillar of the division’s mission, alongside clinical care and education. As members of the Center for Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery, a center of clinical excellence, our faculty engage in ongoing, data-driven research to advance the science of weight management and metabolic surgery. Our work is grounded in evidence-based practice and driven by innovation. Our faculty contributions include publishing in and contributing to peer-reviewed journals, producing surgical videos and educational content, serving on national committees, and presenting at national and international conferences. 

Our bariatric surgeons also collaborate with The Bookout Center, one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive facilities dedicated to surgical innovation and training. This partnership enhances our ability to translate research into practice and to train the next generation of leaders in bariatric surgery. 

As part of our mission, the division is deeply committed to training the next generation of leaders in bariatric surgery.  

Our Advanced GI MIS/Bariatric Fellowship is a one-year program offering robust experience in minimally invasive, gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery, including therapeutic flexible endoscopy and per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). We accept one fellow per year, providing intensive exposure to: advanced laparoscopic and robotic techniques, complex revisional surgeries and high-volume gastric bypass and SADI procedures. 

Fellows and residents benefit from a diverse and advanced case mix, often described as a “menu of cases” not commonly available at other institutions. As a tertiary referral center, our division manages some of the most challenging bariatric cases, offering unparalleled educational value.

All trainees contribute to the division’s academic mission through video production, peer-reviewed publications, research projects and presentations at national meetings, including ASMBS and SAGES. 

Graduates are well-positioned for certification by the Fellowship Council, ASMBS and SAGES. 

Beyond formal training, the division hosts an annual CME symposium each August, open to internal and external participants, covering both medical and surgical aspects of bariatric care. We also conduct regular educational sessions for dietitians, nurse practitioners, weight management specialists and primary care physicians. Additionally, we welcome international observers — established surgeons who visit Houston Methodist to learn from our program.