John W. Baker, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Education & Affiliations
Areas of Expertise
Biography
John W. Baker, MD, FACS, is an Assistant Professor, Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Tulane and University Medical Centers. He is a past president of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the largest association in the world dedicated to this particular specialty. He is also a past board member and past president of the ASMBS Foundation.
Dr. Baker is a leading expert in the surgical treatment of obesity with over 28 years of experience. He has performed more than 3,000 weight loss surgical procedures during his career. He is also an active member of several other professional associations and societies including the American College of Surgeons, the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO), American Medical Association.
He moved to New Orleans, February 2019, after working as a metabolic and bariatric surgeon in Little Rock, AR.
He is working with Operation New Life on mission trips to Honduras helping with advanced laparoscopic techniques with the attending surgeons and surgical residents at the Hospital Escuela affiliated with Honduras School of Medicine in Tegucigalpa.
Dr. Baker has co-authored numerous studies and has been published in several peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Trauma, Obesity Surgery Surgical Forum Surgery, and Surgery of Obesity and Related Diseases. He has also made numerous presentations on trauma and Metabolic and bariatric surgery topics. He is a site reviewer for the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program ( MBSAQIP) of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Baker has worked with the Arkansas State Medical Board and was asked to lead a committee to establish a list of complications for mandated informed patient consent for gastric bypass surgery pursuant to Act 1356 of the 84th Arkansas General Assembly in 2003.
Dr. Baker graduated from Louisiana State University-Shreveport in a six-year accelerated M.D. program, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in 1981 and a medical degree from LSU Medical Center-Shreveport in 1983. He completed both his internship and residency at LSU Hospital from 1983 - 1988, and also served as chief administrative resident of general surgery.
Research
Bacterial Translocation
Obesity
Access to Care
Patient Safety
Surgery Mission Trips
Awards & Accomplishments
Past President, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Awards & Recognitions
John W. Baker, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery for the Division of MIS/Bariatric Surgery, has been honored with the TREO Foundation LEAD Award for Dr. Ronald Clements Patient Safety and Quality, one of the most prestigious national recognitions in the field of metabolic and bariatric surgery.
The award was presented on Wednesday, June 18, during the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., and recognizes Dr. Baker’s outstanding leadership, commitment to patient safety, and lasting impact on the profession.
Presented by the TREO Foundation, the official foundation of the ASMBS, this award is reserved for those who exemplify the values of Leadership, Education, Advancement, and Dedication in advancing the field and improving the lives of those affected by obesity.
