B. DEAN MCDANIEL, D. O.

I was born in Oklahoma City in 1964 and spent most of my childhood growing up in small town Oklahoma. I attended East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma before moving on to Oklahoma State University where I graduated from medical school in 1990 with a degree of Doctor of Osteopathy. In 1995, I completed a general surgery residency at Dallas/Ft. Worth Medical Center. Since that time, I have practiced in Victoria, serving two terms as Chief of Surgery at Citizens Medical Center. I am board certified in general surgery with membership in the American Society of Bariatric Surgery and Center of Excellence designation. Click here to learn about a Center of Excellence Surgeon.

I am often asked, “Why did you go into weight-loss surgery?” As a child, I was always intrigued with what made things work on the inside. I disassembled every appliance in the house. This led me to study the most complex machine in the world, the human body.

From the time I finished surgical residency, I was fascinated with minimally invasive surgery, otherwise known as laparoscopic surgery. For several years, I performed this type of surgery, treating many different conditions of the abdomen. Just before 2000, the laparoscopic approach to weight-loss surgery was gaining popularity. Surgeons in California were perfecting a technique to perform the gastric bypass operation with just a few small incisions. I started attending courses with these surgeons and soon adopted the skills to begin a program in South Texas.

Since then, I have watched our program evolve into a regional center with state-of-the-art operating suites, dedicated bariatric patient rooms and support groups in multiple cities. I never dreamed what started back in 2000 would grow into a Center of Excellence program providing bariatric care to South Texas, surrounding states and occasional foreign countries.

Caring for the severely obese gives me the opportunity to restore hope. Patients come to me with many different physical, emotional and spiritual ailments, but they all seem to share a common bond of hopelessness. My greatest reward as a bariatric surgeon is seeing a restoration of hope over and over again. I have tremendous faith in God and His influence in my life today. I believe God gave me a calling several years ago to work with struggling individuals. I serve on multiple boards helping people in tough times.

I have a beautiful wife and four precious children. I strive to be a good husband and father. We enjoy many outdoor sporting activities. I try to stay young by participating in sports with the kids. My patients are like an extension of my family. I enjoy good times with them at support groups and reunions. I hope that someday people will never suffer from severe obesity. Until the cure is found, I know a comprehensive surgical program is the only treatment that works.

B. DEAN MCDANIEL, D. O.