Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge Names Its 20th Surgical Fellow

June 14, 2023

Baton Rouge, LA - Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge recently named its 20th Fellow for its Fellowship in Gastrointestinal Minimally Invasive Surgery (GI MIS) through the Fellowship Council. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the group and reinforces its commitment to excellence as the regional leader in surgical education and patient care.

There are 153 programs covering advanced GI MIS, bariatrics, complex gastrointestinal surgery, foregut, biliary, pancreatic and liver surgery in the United States.  Our Lady of the Lake Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge stands out as the only practice in Louisiana to provide this unique opportunity. 

Since its inception in 2003 by Karl LeBlanc, MD MBA, FACS, FASMBS, a partner in the practice, the fellowship program has consistently provided exceptional training opportunities.

“Through our fellowship, we provide concentrated and effective experiences that would take years to acquire in a private practice setting,” said Dr. LeBlanc. “In our program, fellows typically perform approximately 500 cases or more encompassing foregut, hindgut, hernia and bariatric surgeries. A vast majority of the surgeries are performed robotically. This is one of the many reasons why Our Lady of the Lake and the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge is the region’s leader in delivering the highest quality of surgical expertise.”  

With the only board-certified oncologists in the area, a great opportunity exists for fellows to perform complex robotic cancer surgery including pancreatectomy and liver resection. 

“Our Lady of the Lake and the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge have been committed to meeting the surgical needs of our community through the fellowship program for the last 20 years,” said Mark G. Hausmann, MD, FACS, FASMBS, partner at SGBR. “Our fellowship program is well-respected, and it allows us to attract top talent to Baton Rouge. Many of the well-trained surgeons in our community today were trained right here at Our Lady of the Lake with the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge.”

The Our Lady of the Lake Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge is proud to name its 2024/2025 Fellow, David Kelter, MD.  Dr. Kelter was chosen from among 83 applicants to the highly sought-after, selective program this year.  Dr. Kelter earned his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, and his Doctor of Medicine from St. George’s University School of Medicine, St. George, Grenada.  He completed his residency in General Surgery at Inspira Health Network, Vineland, New Jersey. 

Under the guidance of experienced physicians, fellows like Dr. Kelter gain hands-on training and gradually assume the role of primary surgeon. The programs focus on minimally invasive and robotic surgeries to ensure fellows acquire extensive expertise in these advanced techniques.

After completing medical school and a residency in their chosen field, physicians can opt to pursue further specialization through fellowships. Our Lady of the Lake’s surgery and robotics fellowship is open to candidates who have successfully completed residency in general surgery. The selection process follows rigorous criteria to ensure the selection of highly qualified individuals such as Dr. Kelter.

“Dr. Kelter’s experience and passion for minimally invasive surgery and interest in improving the lives of his patients are a perfect fit for our fellowship program and our practice. He is a fine addition to the long line of exceptional surgeons who have participated in our program. We look forward to working with him,” said Dr. Hausmann.

Partners of Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge include Dr. Karl LeBlanc, Dr. Mark Hausmann, Dr. Kenneth Kleinpeter, Dr. Brent Allain, Dr. John Lyons, Dr. Mo Al Efishat, Dr. Dani Cobb, and Dr. Daryl Marx. For more information about the practice visit sgbr.ololrmc.com.