John Pagteilan, MD, is a fellowship-trained thoracic surgeon at Ochsner Health. Dr. Pagteilan combines a full array of minimally invasive robotic, thoracoscopic, laparoscopic, endoscopic, and bronchoscopic approaches along with technical experience in airway, cardiovascular, and chest wall reconstruction to treat a wide breadth of thoracic disease while sparing patients from procedure-associated complications. This expertise includes acute chest injuries and infections; chronic upper-GI tract and tracheal disease; and thymic, lung, esophageal, and chest wall cancer. In order to provide comprehensive treatment for each patient, Dr. Pagteilan works with partners in a multidisciplinary team to combine his surgical approaches with the latest advances in chemo/immunotherapy, radiation, transplant, cardiopulmonary bypass and palliative care.

Dr. Pagteilan finished his three-year cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Southern California after completing a five-year general surgery program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and medical school at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. During his training, Dr. Pagteilan published clinically focused research in the field of thoracic surgery, won multiple teaching awards, and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Society and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He currently participates as a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and Western Thoracic Surgical Society to stay up to date in his quickly evolving field.

Residing and practicing in New Orleans since 2024, Dr. Pagteilan enjoys the unique food and music of the city with his wife, Kelsey, a Louisiana native and pediatric neurosurgeon, and his two dogs. He hopes his interest in thoracic oncology, minimally invasive procedures, and lung transplant can be used to provide excellent long-term and compassionate care to his neighbors in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.



Ochsner Health is ranked among the nation’s top 10% in Pulmonology and Lung Surgery by U.S. News & World Report, with Ochsner Medical Center rated as “High Performing” in lung cancer surgery. Ochsner's thoracic surgery program is recognized as a 3-star program by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, placing it in the top 2.5% of programs in North America for quality and outcomes. Additionally, Ochsner's innovative single-event anesthesia program diagnoses and treats lung cancer in a single day, reducing patient wait times and minimizing anesthesia exposure.