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Home | Meet the Surgeons | Why Choose Dr. Thoman

Why Choose Dr. Thoman

If you are considering weight loss surgery or any type of gastrointestinal surgery, it is important to choose your surgeon carefully. While these procedures can greatly increase your health and quality of life, they require a specialized surgeon who will provide safe and effective care. David S. Thoman, MD, FACS, specializes in advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive gastrointestinal and weight loss options in California. His treatments have improved the lives of thousands of women and men.

Impressive Qualifications

Dr. Thoman is an accomplished gastrointestinal and gastric bypass surgeon in California who strives to help his patients safely overcome their health concerns and return to their normal lives as quickly as possible. His qualifications and experience include:

  • Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery and Associate Director of Surgical Education at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
  • Certified by the American Board of Surgery and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
  • Completed an advanced laparoscopic fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California
  • Performed over 5,000 gastrointestinal surgeries, including over 1,000 weight loss surgeries

Proven Safety Record

While weight loss surgery involves its own associated complications, Dr. Thoman has a spotless surgical safety record as a LAP-BAND® and gastric bypass surgeon in California. In the over 1,000 weight loss procedures he has performed, he has had:

  • No pulmonary embolisms
  • No gastrointestinal leaks
  • No patient deaths (in spite of the risks associated with gastric bypass being about 1 in 200 - 300 surgeries)

By performing all procedures laparoscopically, he has successfully minimized the risks of wound-related complications such as incision hernia and bowel obstruction.

Innovative Techniques

An innovator in the field of general and bariatric laparoscopic surgery, Dr. Thoman was the first surgeon on the Central Coast to use the single-incision approach to minimally invasive surgery. Reducing the need for multiple small incisions on the abdomen, he performs the single-incision method through only one incision placed in the belly button. Dr. Thoman has achieved excellent results using this method to perform:

This "scarless" surgical technique is ideal for patients who are concerned with the aesthetic aspect of surgery as there is no noticeable scar once the incision has healed. Also, it often involves less pain, faster recovery, and fewer complications than with the traditional "open" technique.

We Are Here for You

Are you ready to begin your journey to lasting weight loss? We encourage you to attend one of our informational weight loss seminars. If you think surgery might be a good option for you, request a consultation online with Dr. David Thoman or call the office of Advanced Surgical Associates at (805) 730-1470. We see patients from Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Fresno, San Luis Obispo County, and Ventura for weight loss surgery and other laparoscopic procedures.

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