Bariatric surgeon joins Fort Smith hospital staff

Eric Chung, a bariatric surgeon, has joined Baptist Health-Fort Smith.

Chung recently completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and weight loss surgery at Advanced Laparoscopic Surgical Associates MIS in Fresno, Calif. He completed his residency in general surgery at Stony Brook Medicine community surgery program in Southampton, N.Y.

Chung completed both a Doctor of Medicine and a master’s degree in Public Health at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2014.

Chung will perform surgeries at Baptist Health-Fort Smith and see patients in the Baptist Health clinic at 923 Lexington Ave.

In addition to laparoscopic surgery, Chung is also able to perform minimally invasive robotic surgery. He says it’s his goal to provide life-changing tools without judgment for those suffering from obesity.

“One thing I learned interacting with thousands of patients is that there is a widespread prejudice against the obese population,” Chung said. “Whether it comes to job opportunity, access to healthcare or day-to-day social interactions, obese people suffer from the common misconception that obesity is a choice. Helping people understand that obesity is a disease that needs surgical and medical management is something I like to focus on.”

In addition to Dr. Michael Gooden, Chung is the second bariatric surgeon at Baptist Health-Fort Smith.