Dr. James "Buddy" Leithead III

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Dr. James "Buddy" Leithead III Dr. James (Buddy) Leithead III, specializes in the minimally invasive treatment of obesity, colorect

Dr. James (Buddy) Leithead III, specializes in the minimally invasive treatment of obesity, colorectal abnormalities, and general surgery diseases including hernias, gallbladder pathology, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. He also has a strong interest in robotic surgery in order to provide the latest advanced surgical technology to his patients. He is board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery and has completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery, during which time he focused on Advanced Laparoscopy, Bariatric, Colorectal, and Robotic Surgery. After finishing his surgical training under many pioneers of surgery, he returned to New Orleans and joined the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana (www.WhyWeight.com). Dr. Leithead is devoted to patient well-being, satisfaction, and exceptional patient outcomes. He is committed to providing personalized and compassionate care to his patients for all of their surgical needs. Dr. Leithead provides surgical care at multiple locations including Crescent City Surgery Centre, Southern Surgical Hospital/Our Lady of the Lake Surgical Hospital, AVALA, Lakeview Regional Medical Center, UMC New Orleans

Clinical Interests: Advanced laparoscopic and robotic: gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, revisional weight loss surgery, hiatal hernia repair, gastric fundoplication, colectomy, hemorrhoids, ventral hernia repair, inguinal hernia repair, incisional hernia repair, cholecystectomy (gallbladder), soft tissue masses/lumps, endoscopy, colonoscopy

10/19/2026

Delays in medicine…they’re real. I, unfortunately, hear this too often. Whether you’re waiting to be seen in the ER, to see your specialist in clinic, or to be scheduled for surgery, the recent common situation is DELAYS. Well, I CAN HELP!
There’s no reason you have to wait weeks/months to be seen. This is a common thing these days though. I typically will add on patients the same week, and same day very often. I try to put patients FIRST. If you’re needing to be seen, stuck in insurance or hospital delays, let me know. I’ll try to help any way I can. For me, this regards mostly to general and bariatric surgery. It’s time to get the care we all truly deserve.

10/15/2026

Many don’t realize that I perform general surgery too! Although I love treating obesity and helping ppl get healthy, I also routinely do MIS general surgery. MIS is minimally invasive surgery, which means I perform the operations through tiny incisions, rather than a large single incision. This leads to less pain, lower infection risk, and faster healing.
From gallbladders and hernias to lumps and bumps, I truly enjoy my job. Let me know if you have questions about the types of procedures I perform.

09/23/2026

Wow! Losing 109 pounds is incredible and I’m so proud of you! It’s not only about the weight loss but also that you feel great, less medical problems, and a much HEALTHIER future! Using the correct tool is what it’s all about, to make sure we not only get great results, but also LONG-TERM SUCCESS. Every patient is different and all tools are available, from diet/exercise to medication to surgery. We need to focus on what our bodies are telling us and make sure we use whatever tools are needed in order to get the best results, as well as long-term. I’m so proud of you. Keep up your hard work.

09/13/2026

Definitely a non-medical post but had a great weekend! Go Tigers! Not the best first half, but second half pulled them through. I’m so lucky and blessed to be able to enjoy weekends with my family and enjoy my passions, one of which is LSU football!

09/06/2026

Recap from a call night. very busy, operated in multiple cities, in multiple hospitals, but totally worth it as I’m able to help people. Even if it was during the LSU game. Geaux Tigers!

09/06/2026

You never know what you’re gonna get when you take call but you always know you have a chance to help someone get healthier. Even though I’m extremely tired and I missed the LSU game 😜😆 I’m extremely happy to know that I was able to help someone and I still love my job so much.

09/05/2026

It’s always about the patients first! My job is complicated…Sometimes patient’s need our help. When patients have an emergency, I’m here for them, and that’s for all of the surgeons that I know as well. WE ARE HERE TO HELP PATIENTS. I absolutely love what I do, and I love helping people get healthy. Everything went great today and, yes, I’m very excited to get back to watching the game.

09/04/2026

I love sharing patients’ success because I’m so proud of them! The surgery absolutely helps but it’s their hard work, determination, and lifestyle changes that lead to these incredible results. Using the right “tool” is key, and continuing these lifestyle changes is what helps get these results to stick. A sleeve was the correct tool for Samaiyah and I’m so proud and happy for her!

08/27/2026

OK OK maybe I was rambling a little bit so it’s a little long but this is very important information, so hang on until the end and let me know what your thoughts are. I love helping people get healthy and I have many options. It’s time for us to talk about ALL of these options not just a couple.

Address

3100 Galleria Drive Suite 301
Metairie, LA
70001

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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