View all posts by Dr. Rabkin | Send Dr. Rabkin an Email
John M. Rabkin, MD
San Francisco Office:
2250 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Toll-Free: (888) 848-THIN
Phone: (415) 668-3200
Fax: (415) 668-2010
Ventura Office:
2929 Loma Vista Rd., Ste. F, Ventura, CA 93003
Toll-Free: (888) 848-THIN
Phone: (415) 668-3200
Fax: (415) 668-2010
Bariatric Surgery for a Better Life
At Pacific Laparoscopy, Dr. John Rabkin and his staff dedicate themselves to providing solutions and support for the health and cosmetic concerns of those suffering from morbid obesity. By offering multiple options for weight loss surgery, like the innovative duodenal switch surgery, Dr. Rabkin can better customize each procedure to meet the needs of each individual patient. His goal is to help prevent and treat obesity-related diseases through bariatric surgery and liver transplants as well as to improve a patient’s quality of life.
Background & Qualifications
Dr. Rabkin is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in addition to being a member of many surgical societies. Throughout his long history of performing bariatric and liver transplant surgery, Dr. Rabkin as been at the forefront of new technologies and innovations in bariatric surgery and has helped pioneer research in both the bariatric surgery and liver transplant field. Some of Dr. Rabkin’s accomplishments include:
- Received his Bachelor of Arts and his MD degree at Boston University’s combined program in Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Sciences in 1982
- Completed his surgical training and internship in Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 1983
- Completed his residency in General Surgery at UCSF from 1983-1988
- Was Chief Resident in General Surgery at UCSF from 1988-1989
- Was Associate Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Section of Liver/Pancreas Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon in 1991
- Was Medical Director of the Pacific Northwest Transplant Bank from 1993-2001
- Joined Pacific Laparoscopy as a bariatric surgeon and to continue as a specialist in liver transplantation and complex hepatobiliary surgery from 2002-present
Weight Loss Surgeries
As new techniques have developed in bariatric surgery, some of which Dr. Rabkin helped to pioneer, he has incorporated these techniques into his practice in order to provide more options for patients seeking obesity surgery in the Bay Area. Pacific Laparoscopy offers:
- Duodenal Switch
- Vertical Gastrectomy
- Revision Surgery
- Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
- The LAP-BAND
Laparoscopic Duodenal Switch Procedure: LapDS
Dr. Rabkin is known worldwide for performing laparoscopic duodenal switch surgery. The procedure combines stomach restriction with moderate malabsorption, and with Dr. Rabkin’s introduction of using smaller incisions and a small camera to laparoscopically perform the procedure, patients have an average loss of 50 percent of excess body weight at six months and 90 percent at two years with less trauma from surgery.
The laparoscopic method results in less blood loss, smaller incisions, shorter hospitalization time and a quicker recovery. Because of these results, Dr. Rabkin performs all of his initial weight-loss surgeries (not including revisions) laparoscopically.
Cosmetic Procedures
Dr. Rabkin understands that reinventing the figure involves improving the body cosmetically as well. To treat patients’ cosmetic concerns, he offers plastic surgery for patients after weight loss. These procedures include:
- Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
- Thighplasty (Thigh Lift)
- Brachioplasty (Arm Lift)
- Mastopexy (Breast Lift)
These surgeries can be the final touch on a patient’s weight loss journey, revealing the hard work and dedication it took to uncover a healthy and slimmer body.
