Meet Dr. Bagnato – Acid Reflux and GERD Surgeon

Dr. V. John Bagnato has been a general surgeon in Albany, Georgia since 1998. He is an expert in laparoscopic surgical techniques and a leader in the use of incisionless transoral surgical techniques
Dr. Bagnato received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi in 1978. Four years later, he earned his medical degree (MD) from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed his surgical residency at University Hospital, in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1987, and has been a board certified surgeon since 1988.
While Dr. Bagnato was completing his residency, advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques using miniaturized cameras and instruments were being developed. Dr. Bagnato quickly saw the advantages of reduced post-operative pain, faster recovery, much smaller incisions, and less scarring that these procedures offered patients.
In 1989, Dr. Bagnato performed the first laparoscopic gallbladder surgery in Mississippi, well before the majority of surgeons were aware of the new procedure. He was the first surgeon in the world to remove a portion of lung using thoracoscopy and the endo GIA stapler device.
Additionally, Dr. Bagnato was among the first surgeons to perform laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (a procedure used to treat acid reflux and repair a hiatal hernia) and laparoscopic removal of gallstones lodged in the main bile duct.
Dr. Bagnato has worked with the major surgical equipment manufactures, most notably US Surgical, Wolf, and Olympus to develop new surgical tools and techniques. He developed a thoroscope (chest surgery device) with Olympus and patented a unique technique for tying sutures inside the body during laparoscopy procedures.
Dr. Bagnato has taught courses in laparoscopic surgery at hospitals in Mississippi and has trained over two thousand surgeons from the US and Italy in these procedures. He has also lectured around the US and Europe as part of continuing medical education courses and medical society meetings and has performed surgical procedures for teaching purposes in Italy.
Dr Bagnato specializes in surgical treatments for gastroesophageal reflux disease as well as laparoscopic bariatric (weight loss) surgery using LAP-BAND^® System and revision of gastic bypass surgery using the StomaphyX^™ and ROSE^™ procedures