W. Charles Sternbergh, III, M.D., FACS - Section Head
Dr. Sternbergh’s educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Brown University and a M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine. He performed his general surgical training at the Medical College of Virginia and his vascular fellowship at Emory University. Dr Sternbergh has been on staff at Ochsner since 1996. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in Vascular Surgery, and is the author of more than 100 scientific publications and book chapters pertaining to vascular disease. Dr. Sternbergh literally "wrote the book" on the endovascular treatment of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm.
Hernan Bazan, M.D., FACS - Program Director
Hernan Bazan, MD FACS is a Professor, Section of Vascular/Endovascular Surgery, Dept. of Surgery and a Program Director, Vascular Surgery 5+2 year fellowship program. Dr Bazan has a busy clinical practice and is devoted to medical student and resident teaching. He has received numerous teaching awards in the past, including medical student teaching awards from the Ochsner/University of Queensland School of Medicine and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and the prestigious Arthur Aufses, Jr. Award at Mt. Sinai for mentoring of junior residents. He is actively involved in several endovascular clinical trials and is the PI of several translational research grants on atherosclerosis.
Taylor Smith, M.D., FACS
A Louisiana native, Dr. Smith joined the Ochsner faculty in 2010 after completing his Vascular Surgery and General Surgery training at UT-Southwestern in Dallas. He takes an active role in resident education and leads several resident and medical student didactic conferences each year. He also leads a weekly didactic course related to Non-Invasive Vascular Imaging for the Vascular Fellowship program. He is a member of the residency program’s Clinical Competency Committee and has worked closely with Dr Fuhrman to develop a formal system for resident feedback and evaluation of the faculty. He is involved in several multi-center clinical trials ranging from limb salvage, to carotid disease to aortic interventions. He has conducted several clinical research projects on hemodialysis access which have been presented at local, regional and national meetings.
Clayton Brinster, M.D., FACS
Clay Brinster is a staff surgeon in the section of vascular surgery. He completed medical school and a general surgery residency at the University of Pennsylvania and a fellowship in vascular and endovascular surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Before joining the staff at Ochsner, Dr. Brinster gained experience in Europe with endovascular devices currently undergoing clinical trial in the United States. His clinical interests include all aspects of vascular and endovascular surgery, focusing on the treatment of aortic disease and on the advancement of endovascular techniques. Dr. Brinster actively participates in resident and fellow education including case conferences, vascular surgery journal club and clinical research projects.
Charles Leithead, M.D.
Dr. Leithead, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences, with a minor in French, at LSU in Baton Rouge. He received his Doctor of Medicine from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He completed an Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Leithead treats a wide variety of vascular conditions including aneurysms, carotid artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and varicose veins with both open surgery and minimally invasive procedures. He has both a clinical and research interest in limb salvage. Dr. Leithead is also certified as a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation. He enjoys developing curriculum for surgical training, and having an active role in educational conferences.
