This Veterans Day, we are proud to recognize Jeffrey Landers, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital, for his service.
In his early days at medical school, Dr. Landers was drawn to the field of surgery as the ultimate “do-something-for-somebody” field of medicine.
With this calling to help others in mind, Dr. Landers started his career by serving four years of active duty in the U.S. Navy as a general surgeon. Through this experience and his time in medical residency, he became interested in bariatric surgery after witnessing the profound improvements it made in treating diabetes.
“Throughout my surgical training, I was presented with multiple roadblocks to surgical and medical care due to diabetes, but suddenly there was a field of surgery which produced complete remission of diabetes for most patients,” Dr. Landers shares. “Bariatric surgery was also becoming a minimally invasive field, and the faster recovery times made the field even more exciting.”
He continues, “the most rewarding aspect of bariatric surgery is helping patients obtain remission of diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, and drastically reducing their risk for multiple cancers – all in a format that allows a long-term doctor-patient relationship. Helping patients understand that obesity is a biological product of human adaptation over thousands of years, removing that stigma of self-blame and showing them how we can alter that adaptation to profoundly improve health is also greatly rewarding.”
Dr. Landers mainly sees patients needing treatment for obesity, diabetes, hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). He performs a variety of minimally invasive and robotic surgeries, as well as open surgeries, if necessary.
“I believe in a collaborative approach to decision-making and patient care,” Dr. Landers says. “I like to draw pictures to educate, and I am interested in establishing an extremely productive, long-term doctor-patient relationship. I want patients to know that such a relationship is a big part of the formula to long-term health and success.”
When asked about what has the biggest impact on him as a health care provider, he explains “it’s seeing thousands of patients achieve remission of diabetes along with the loss of their excess weight and other co-morbidities that has been profoundly satisfying.”
When he is not helping patients, Dr. Landers loves spending time with his family and is an avid sports fan. Additionally, he has a passion for environmental conservation, supporting organizations such as Sea Shepherd.
“I am also a fervent member of Peloton and the pursuit of fitness,” he adds.
Thank you to Dr. Landers as well as all our other veteran team members for your service to our country. Read more stories about our veteran team members.
Also, learn more about the health care services we offer at Mercy Health.
