David Vargas graduated with distinction with a major in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. He stayed at the University of Virginia and graduated from the School of Medicine. He completed a residency in General Surgery and served as Chief Surgical Resident at the Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown Pennsylvania. Dr. Vargas then pursued additional training here in New Orleans performing a fellowship at the Ochsner Clinic in the specialty of Colon Rectal Surgery. He became board certified (and has been re-certified) by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon Rectal Surgery. Of note, Dr. Vargas distinguished himself by attaining the highest score on the written examination administered by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery.

After leaving fellowship training in New Orleans, Dr. Vargas gained extensive clinical experience in both private practice and academic surgery all the while remaining involved in medical education and postgraduate surgery resident training. He has been active in local, regional, and national professional organizations and has held positions of leadership. He has authored multiple book chapters as well as scientific articles published in peer-reviewed surgical journals.

While Dr. Vargas’ clinical practice encompasses the breadth of Colon Rectal Surgery, in particular he has gained recognition for minimally invasive or laparoscopic colorectal surgery which led to his recruitment in 2007 to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as Chief of Colon Rectal Surgery.

After five years in Kentucky, he returned to New Orleans in 2012 and joined the Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery of the Ochsner Clinic where he now serves as Staff Surgeon and Program Director of the Colon Rectal Surgery Fellowship. In addition, he is a Assistant Medical Director of Endoscopy Services at Ochsner Medical Center.

To refer a patient or to speak with our Colon Rectal Surgery Staff, please call 504-842-4060.