- Specialties
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Surgical Critical Care
- Board Affiliation/Certification
- American Board of Surgery
- American Board of Surgery/Critical Care
- American Board of Thoracic Surgery
- Education
- University of New Mexico School of Medicine, 1987
- Residency
- Los Angeles County & University of Southern California School of Medicine, 1992
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio ---- (dba UT Health San Antonio), 1995
- Fellowships
- University of Southern California School of Medicine, 1993
- Languages
- English
- Spanish
- Chinese
- Gender
- Male
- Insurance Accepted
- 6 Degrees - Transplant
- 90 Degree Benefits - Commercial
- Aetna - PPO/EPO/HMO/MC Advantage
- Aetna - Smart Care EPO
- Aetna - Transplant
- Aetna Better Health - Medicaid-CHIP
- Aetna Better Health - Medicaid-STAR
- Amerigroup (Gonzaba) - Medicare Advantage (Transplants only)
- Amerigroup - Medicaid-CHIP
- Amerigroup - Medicaid-CHIP Perinate
- Amerigroup - Medicaid-STAR
- Amerigroup - Medicaid-STAR Kids
- Amerigroup - Medicaid-STAR PLUS
- Amerigroup - Medicare Advantage
- Amerigroup - Medicare-Medicaid Duals
- Ancira Enterprises - Direct Employer
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - Exchange (BlueAdvantage)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - HMO/PPO
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - HPN/EPO (Narrow Network)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - Medicaid-STAR
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - Medicare Advantage HMO
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - Medicare Advantage PPO
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - Narrow HMO (Blue Essentials)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - Narrow HMO (Blue Premier)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - Traditional
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas - Transplant Programs
- Care Improvement Plus - Medicare Advantage-SNP
- Cenpatico - Medicaid-CHIP
- Cenpatico - Medicaid-STAR
- Cenpatico - Medicaid-STAR Health (Foster Care)
- Cenpatico - Medicare Advantage
- Community First Health Plans - HMO/Exchange (EPO)
- Community First Health Plans - Medicaid-CHIP
- Community First Health Plans - Medicaid-CHIP Perinate
- Community First Health Plans - Medicaid-STAR
- Community First Health Plans - Medicaid-STAR Kids
- Community First Health Plans - Medicare Advantage HMO
- Coventry - HMO/PPO
- Coventry - Work Comp / Auto
- Driscoll Health Plan - Medicaid-All
- EBSO - TPA
- El Paso First - Medicaid-CHIP
- El Paso First - Medicaid-STAR
- Entrust - TPA
- FirstCare (Part of Scott & White Health Plans) - Medicaid-STAR
- Gonzaba Medical Group - Transplant ONLY
- Healthsmart - Accel
- Healthsmart - Commercial PPO
- Healthsmart - HPO/POS
- Humana - Commercial Behavioral Health
- Humana - Exchange (HMOx)
- Humana - HMO/PPO/Behavioral Health
- Humana - Medicare Advantage Behavioral Health
- Humana - Medicare Advantage HMO (Gold)
- Humana - Medicare Advantage PPO
- Humana - National Transplant ONLY Network
- Humana Military - TRICARE
- Imperial Health Plan - Medicare Advantage
- Independent Medical Systems (IMS) - PPO
- Interlink - Transplant
- LifeTrac - Transplant
- Magellan - Commercial and Medicaid Behavioral Health
- Molina - Commercial Exchange
- Molina - Medicaid-CHIP
- Molina - Medicaid-CHIP Perinate
- Molina - Medicaid-STAR
- Molina - Medicare Advantage
- Molina - Medicare-Medicaid Duals
- OptumHealth - Transplant ONLY
- Oscar - Commercial Exchange
- Point Comfort Underwriters (PCU) - Refugee Medical Assistance
- Point Comfort Underwriters (PCU) - Unaccompanied Children
- Prime Health Services - Commercial PPO
- Prime Health Services - Medicare Advantage
- ProCare Advantage - Medicare Advantage I-SNP
- Provider Network of America (PNOA) - Commercial
- Provider Partners Health Plan (PPHP) - Medicare Advantage I-SNP
- Scott & White Health Plan - HMO/PPO/Medicare Advantage
- Superior HealthPlan - Medicaid-CHIP
- Superior HealthPlan - Medicaid-CHIP Perinate
- Superior HealthPlan - Medicaid-STAR
- Superior HealthPlan - Medicaid-STAR Health (Foster Care)
- Superior HealthPlan - Medicaid-STAR Kids
- Superior HealthPlan - Medicaid-STAR PLUS
- Superior HealthPlan - Medicare Advantage (Allwell)
- Superior HealthPlan - Medicare-Medicaid Duals (Allwell)
- Texas Independence Health Plan - Medicare Advantage I-SNP
- Three Rivers Provider Network - PPO
- Tokio Marine - Transplant
- TriWest (via BCBSTX) - VA CCN Program
- UnitedHealthcare - Medicaid-STAR
- UnitedHealthcare - Medicaid-STAR Kids
- UnitedHealthcare - Medicaid-STAR PLUS
- UnitedHealthcare - Medicare Advantage
- UnitedHealthcare - PPO
- Universal Benefits Consortium - Brokerage Firm (School Districts)
- University of Incarnate Word (Gilsbar) - Direct Employer
- WellCare - Medicare Advantage
- WellMed - Medicare Advantage
Please contact your health insurance company to confirm provider participation. For billing and insurance questions, please call our Billing Department at 210-358-3260.
- I received my medical degree in 1987 from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I did my general surgery residency and foregut/esophageal fellowship at USC in Los Angeles, where I was personally trained by Dr. Tom DeMeester, perhaps the most accomplished foregut surgeon in the world. I am board-certified in Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, and Thoracic Surgery.
- I joined UT Health in 1995, and am currently the chief of esophageal surgery. My interests include fixing previous surgeries performed on the stomach and esophagus that have either failed or gone awry (especially those that have been done laparoscopically or robotically), including performing redo anti-reflux procedures, and taking in transfer any and all patients from other hospitals that have suffered complications arising from such surgeries that were performed by others.
- I also do the most esophageal resections of any surgeon in South Texas, in addition to performing complex foregut reconstructions (including colonic interpositions) for both benign and malignant (i.e., cancer) cases.
- As former surgical director of UT lung transplantation for over a decade, I also have developed extensive experience in performing complex bronchopulmonary resections and reconstructions.
- I was named a Top Doctor in thoracic surgery and in thoracic cancer surgery, a Best Doctors in America, as well as a Texas Superdoctor for many years running.
- To provide a technically perfect operation, and be there for the patient throughout their postoperative recovery. "Service after the sale" is an important part of our team's dedication to patients' wellbeing.
- Running, weight lifting, snow skiing, water skiing, drumming (music), ranching, playing chess.
Call 210-450-4888 to request an appointment with this doctor.
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