Ariel Ortiz Lagardere

Ariel Ortiz Lagardere is a Mexican-American weight loss surgeon, scientist, and medical educator. As an educator he found that video production was essential to his teaching work and founded QuoVadis Productions. Ortiz is professor of surgery at the University of Baja California School of Medicine as well as professor of clinical medicine. He is also professor of Surgical Nursing at Ibero-American University and Director of Bariatric Surgery and Senior attending bariatric surgeon at Obesity Control Center, a Center of Excellence in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Joint Commission International Accredited Hospital and Ministry of Health Accredited Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. His professional life is dedicated to the medical and scientific field including research and treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Ortiz was one of the first surgeons to use the online video platform to educate and promote bariatric surgery as an effective treatment for weight loss. He founded QuoVadis, a video production company dedicated to educational and surgical video production. He propelled the surgical center into international recognition in 2008 when the youngest patient ever to be treated with weight loss surgery was featured with Dr Ortiz on the Oprah Winfrey Show. . His work in adolescents was presented in the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Clinical Congress in 2006. Dr. Ortiz's Teenage weightless surgery was featured in several prime time programs like The Doctors. He is also President of IBC Communications and IBC-Television, the largest online bariatric surgeon community. He also recorded the first stereoscopic virtual reality bariatric surgery in 3D which trended as the top virtual reality several weeks online. After the 5G summit in San Diego, contrary to experts opinion, he was able to live-stream the first 360 Virtual reality bariatric surgery to an international congress from his facility Obesity Control Center in Baja Mexico.His interest in Virtual Reality in Surgical training has earned him several speaking engagements including the IBC-Oxford University 2018 Congress in Oxford, U.K. where he is now Co-Director of the annual course as well as Director of Online Academic and Social Video Content. His interest in technology has lead him to develop a customized patient care digital platform that has morphed into a smartphone based application for patient care and followup. The application is in Beta phase before being launched fourth quarter of 2018. Ortiz was recently recognized in his home town of Tijuana Mexico and was awarded the Tour of Fame Medal for his contributions in science and medicine. He has also numerous contributions in the medical literature as authors of scientific papers and book chapters in the field of Bariatrics and Metabolic surgery. He is active as editor in publications in the field of bariatric and metabolic surgery. Dr Ortiz has performed over 20,000 weight loss procedures in the 20 years of practice including heads of state and several celebrities.