Thoracic Surgery Faculty - Surgery Residency Program

Jordan Dozier, MD, is a fellowship-trained, board-certified thoracic surgeon at Ochsner Health whose practice focuses thoracic cancer and complex benign disease. He integrates advanced robotic & thoracoscopic/laparoscopic (camera-based) techniques to treat conditions of the lung, mediastinum, esophagus, pleura, diaphragm and airway. He also performs abdominal surgeries including the surgical management of hiatal hernias and reflux disease.

He also treats acquired (trauma) and congenital diseases of the chest wall. In fact, he is one of few thoracic surgeons in the gulf-south that treats adult chest wall deformities including pectus excavatum and performs minimally invasive Nuss procedures for appropriate patients.

Dr. Dozier has a particular clinical interest in expanding access to early detection and treatment for lung cancer. He is active in promoting lung cancer screening across Louisiana, which will catch disease at an earlier stage and improve survival in a historically under-screened region.

Dr. Dozier completed his thoracic surgery fellowship at The Ohio State University and his general surgery residency at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He also completed a two-year research fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering focused on immunotherapy for thoracic malignancies. His academic work has resulted in multiple publications and presentations at national & international meetings. He views thoracic surgery as a discipline that requires lifelong learning and refinement and remains active in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons while mentoring trainees on scholarly projects.

Ochsner Health is ranked among the nation’s top 10% in Pulmonology and Lung Surgery by U.S. News & World Report, with Ochsner Medical Center rated as “High Performing” in lung cancer surgery. Ochsner's thoracic surgery program is recognized as a 3-star program by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, placing it in the top 2.5% of programs in North America for quality and outcomes. Additionally, Ochsner's innovative single-event anesthesia program diagnoses and treats lung cancer in a single day, reducing patient wait times and minimizing anesthesia exposure.

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John Pagteilan is a thoracic surgeon at Ochsner Health. Dr. Pagteilan combines advanced robotic, thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approaches to treat a wide array of disease. His added capacity in interventional pulmonology and advanced endoscopy also allows lower-risk and more timely diagnoses and procedures. To ensure Louisiana's most comprehensive thoracic cancer treatment, Dr. Pagteilan collaborates with multidisciplinary teams with experts in chemotherapy, radiation and pulmonology. Dr. Pagteilan is also a lung transplant surgeon with cardiopulmonary bypass and ECMO capability who works with his transplant team to refine the state’s most historic and active lung transplant center. Additionally, he began a program with plastic surgery to provide same-day EMG evaluation and minimally invasive intrathoracic nerve reconstruction, one of few in the country. Other treated pathologies include hiatal hernia, diaphragm pathology, airway and upper-GI obstruction and pericardial disease.

Dr. Pagteilan finished his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Southern California following his general surgery training at the University of Arkansas and medical school at the University of Oklahoma. Before training, he earned a degree in Finance with a minor in biochemistry to supplement his pursuit of medicine. During training, Dr. Pagteilan published clinical research, won multiple teaching awards and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Society and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and Western Thoracic Surgical Society to stay up to date in an evolving field. He hopes his interests in oncology, minimally invasive surgery and lung transplant provide excellent and compassionate care to his neighbors in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

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Brian Pettiford, MD, MBA, MMM, FACS, is a thoracic surgeon with a focus in thoracic oncology at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Pettiford is a native of Tifton, Georgia. He is an honors graduate of Morehouse College where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He earned a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where he continued his general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery training. During surgical residency, Dr. Pettiford was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Dr. Pettiford began his cardiothoracic surgery clinical practice in Massachusetts in 2003. He served as clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2005 to 2009. Prior to joining Ochsner Health, he was employed by the WellSpan Health System as a cardiothoracic surgeon from 2009 through 2014. Dr. Pettiford is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and holds memberships in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Society and the Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society. He has authored or coauthored over 40 journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Pettiford served in the U.S. Navy Reserve Medical Corps from 1998 to 2006, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander. His professional interests include robotic surgery for the treatment of lung cancer and benign lung disease. He also has extensive experience in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma and the minimally invasive treatment of esophageal cancer as well as benign esophageal conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux and esophageal achalasia. Dr. Pettiford earned an MBA from the University of Miami Herbert School of Business in 2018. In 2023, he earned a Master of Medical Management degree from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

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