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Credentialed Bariatric Surgeons

John Pilcher Jr., MD, F.A.C.S.

"Every patient meets with me directly and personally. I perform 4-8 weight loss procedures each week, mostly accomplished laparoscopically and some done by open incision. I have done around 1,000 weight loss procedures since beginning weight loss surgery in 1995." - John Pilcher
I was born in Roanoke, VA, which is located in a valley in the midst of the Blue Ridge mountains. I am the oldest of three children. I now have four children of my own, one of whom is studying at Penn State. My lovely wife Sheryl practices plastic surgery here in San Antonio.

Following high school, I entered the University of Virginia, where I studied from 1982 until 1995. I obtained a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry in 1986, my MD degree in 1990, and finished surgical residency at UVa in 1995.

Medical school was financed by means of an Air Force scholarship, which is important because it is the Air Force that brought me and my family to San Antonio from Virginia.

During my five year general surgery residency at UVa, I trained intensively in the full range of surgical care, especially the practices of minimally invasive surgery, complex biliary surgery, surgical intensive care, and weight loss surgery.

Upon completion of surgical residency, I was selected to serve my Air Force duty at Wilford Hall Medical Center - the Air Force’s worldwide referral and medical training center - in San Antonio, TX. On the staff there, I was responsible for the care of a substantial volume of varied surgical problems, and for teaching surgical residents in the care of these patients. Based on these responsibilities and many hours of study, I progressed to achieve the status of Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery in February of 1996.

Wilford Hall also featured a tradition of maintaining a program for the surgical therapy of obesity - a program which was actually begun by Dr. Paul Selinkoff in the early 1980’s. I was asked to take over leadership of this program immediately upon my arrival at Wilford Hall; during my tour at Wilford Hall I performed approximately 120 gastric bypass procedures. My time at Wilford Hall (and these 120 patients) showed me how incredibly rewarding it is to help someone get their life back by freeing them of massive excess weight.

Thus the practice of bariatric surgery, which began as an assigned interest for the benefit of surgical resident training, quickly became a career focus for me. Patients frequently ask how I became interested in bariatric surgery - this is answered more fully in the section below.

At the completion of my military tour, my family and I chose to remain in San Antonio because we are fond of the people and the environment, and because of the outstanding opportunity to partner with Dr. Selinkoff. Since joining Dr. Selinkoff in 1999, I have made bariatric surgery the foundation of my surgical practice. As a full-time bariatric surgeon, I do from 125 to 250 bariatric surgical operations each year.

Currently on the staff of the following hospitals in the Medical Center area:

• Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital
  
• Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital
  
• St. Luke's Baptist Hospital

Member of the following organizations:

• Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
  
• Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery (1996)
  
• The American Society for Bariatric Surgery
  
• The Texas Medical Association
  
• The Bexar County Medical Society

Other Professional Activities:

• Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences
• Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Texas, San Antonio
• Medical Director for Weight Loss Surgery program at Methodist hospital
• Chief of General Surgery at Methodist hospital

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