Kent Van Sickle, MD

Dr. Van Sickle received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee in 1994 and completed his surgical residency training at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta, GA and New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC. He went into private practice in general surgery for four years in Anderson, SC before returning to academics in 2003 to complete a two-year fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopy and GI Surgery at Emory University Hospital. Dr. Van Sickle joined the faculty at UTHSCSA in Sept. 2005 and is a Professor of Surgery and Division Chief of General and Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Dr. Van Sickle’s areas of clinical interest include complex diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastroparesis, achalasia, and Paraesophageal hernias. Dr. Van Sickle also has expertise in bariatric and obesity surgery, including revisions of prior bariatric procedures and is the Medical Director for the University Health System Bariatric Surgery program. Other areas of clinical expertise include hernias of the inguinal canal (i.e. groin) and abdominal wall, including patients with chronic groin pain. Dr. Van Sickle also performs complex abdominal wall reconstruction for patients with large or recurrent ventral hernias, parastomal hernias, and enterocutaneous fistulas.

Dr. Van Sickle is actively involved in local, regional and national leadership roles in surgery. He is an active member of multiple surgical societies including the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and currently serves on the Executive Council for the South Texas Chapter of the ACS, and was recently nominated to serve on the Board of Governors. Dr. Van Sickle also holds leadership roles in the Robotics Committee in the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and is an active member of the Education Committee for the Americas Hernia Society (AHS). Dr. Van Sickle was also a founding member of the Texas Association of Surgical Skills Laboratories (TASSL), which is a consortium of Texas surgeons with a collaborative interest in surgical education, simulation and novel training techniques.

Dr. Van Sickle has expertise in Minimally Invasive Surgery, including advanced laparoscopic procedures, flexible endoscopy and robotic surgery. Dr. Van Sickle has performed over 1000 robotic procedures in his career, and has served as an expert instructor on numerous robotic surgery training courses for both residents and practicing surgeons. Dr. Van Sickle has consistently been selected as one of San Antonio's best surgeons by his peers and by his patients, and was featured on a cover story for the local MD News for his experience in robotic surgeries at University Hospital.