Van L. Wagner, M.D. has been a full-time bariatric surgeon since he joined St. Alexius NewStart in June 2003. Having performed over 1000 Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding procedures, 500 Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass procedures, and 50 Sleeve Gastrectomies in his surgical career, of which 350 were Periumbilical Laparoscopic Surgeries, Dr. Wagner has balanced experience with laparoscopic gastric banding, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and periumbilical laparoscopic surgical procedures. He has performed bariatric operations on a large number of high-risk patients, including over 275 patients weighing between 350 pounds and 550 pounds, and over 525 patients with a Body Mass Index between 50 and 88.

Dr. Wagner was born and raised in Galion, Ohio, and received his college degree in 1984 from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He graduated from New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY in 1989, and completed his General Surgery residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark in 1994.

Dr. Wagner has been a board-certified general surgeon since 1996, and is a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. He is married and has two children. His interests include mountain climbing, scuba diving, snowboarding and running marathons.