Dan Scott, M.D.

Meet Dr. Scott

Minimally Invasive Surgeon in Dallas

Daniel Scott, M.D., is internationally recognized in bariatric surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and surgical education. He has pioneered techniques of minimally invasive surgery that have helped many patients enjoy a healthier life. When he’s not performing those leading-edge procedures for the benefit of his patients, he’s teaching the advanced techniques to the surgeons of tomorrow.

In April 1999, Dr. Scott was part of the team that performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass operation in the state of Texas. Since then, he has devoted his career to perfecting and performing all manner of advanced laparoscopic operations – from laparoscopic appendectomies to every type of hernia repair and more. But he says it’s his role as a bariatric surgeon, performing operations to help severely obese people lose weight, that regularly yields the most dramatic and satisfying results.

“Weight-loss surgery is life-changing for those who have it done. It enables people to do things they never could before,” Dr. Scott says. “One of the most common remarks we hear from older people who are considering the surgery is, ‘I want to do this because I want to play to be able to play with my grandkids.’ This type of surgery does that. For younger people, it lets them exercise and be more active because they’re no longer hindered by their own body. For many individuals, we can actually prevent diseases from developing and cure the ones they have, like diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol.

“Bariatric surgery is an opportunity to dramatically improve the health of patients who suffer from severe obesity and its wide array of associated medical problems.”

“It’s very satisfying both for them and me. I get to watch this metamorphosis as it happens, and, particularly with sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass procedures, it can happen quite rapidly,” Dr. Scott says.

As a Professor and Vice Chair of Education for UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Surgery, Dr. Scott has a national reputation for developing new curricula and new surgical simulators used as training tools. He holds four patents – one for a simulator and three for surgical devices – and is the Residency Program Director for the largest surgical residency in the United States.

Dr. Scott is also continually involved in the development and deployment of the latest surgical techniques.

“We’re always looking for new technologies and the latest advancements in the field, and we strongly support clinical studies,” he says. “We’re interested in any new innovation or approach that’s going to help us better help patients.”