The 20 Best Endoscopy Doctors in Louisiana, US

Dr. Rashid Mahboob has long known exactly what he wanted to do – practice endocrinology. “I have many family members with diabetes, so I was interested in endocrinology right from the beginning,” he recalled. “Later, as a hospitalist, 70 percent of my patients were diabetic. I found there is a lot of need and a shortage of endocrinologists.” Besides helping patients manage diabetes, Dr. Mahboob discovered he enjoyed treating patients with other health issues, such as thyroid diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, bone diseases and pituitary disorders. But no matter the diagnosis, to Dr. Mahboob, the most important aspect of treating patients is the same. “I need to understand patients and realize each one is different,” he said. “As a doctor, I have to be patient and build a good relationship and level of trust. “When the patient trusts you, they will listen and respond better,” he explained. “Diabetes is a patient-controlled disease, so you have to talk to the patient and the family and have good communication with them.” Dr. Mahboob knows how important family is to his patients, as his own family is a No. 1 priority in his life. He, his wife and their three children love taking long drives in the mountains, camping, hiking and just spending time together. When they settled here in 2006, he was glad to know his expertise could help fill a need for patients in the area. And, he liked the area right away because it reminded him of the mountains of Pakistan, where he grew up. “We love the natural beauty,” he said. “It is home now.”. Dr. Mahboob is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Urea Cycle Disorders (UCD), Hip Replacement, and Endoscopy.

Dr. Janak Shah joined Ochsner in 2015 and has served as the department chair of gastroenterology since 2019. He completed his training in gastroenterology and advanced endoscopy at the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining Ochsner, he spent over 10 years practicing in San Francisco, where he was the director of pancreatic and biliary endoscopy at California Pacific Medical Center and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California. Dr. Shah is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Bile Duct Obstruction, Cholestasis, Bile Duct Stricture, Endoscopy, and Gallbladder Removal.

Dr. Jerry Evans joined Ochsner Heath System in 2017. Prior to joining the staff of Ochsner, he practiced in North Carolina for 10 years. Dr. Evans is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Cholestasis, Bile Duct Obstruction, Bile Duct Stricture, Endoscopy, and Gallbladder Removal.

. Dr. Gopalan is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Gallbladder Disease, Saddle Pulmonary Embolism, Liver Failure, Endoscopy, and Hip Replacement.

. Dr. Bishop is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy.

. Dr. Vicars is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. Her top areas of expertise are Gallbladder Disease, Colonoscopy, and Ureteroscopy.

. Dr. Kharalkar is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. Her top areas of expertise are End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), Liver Failure, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Hip Replacement, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Nisha Patel is a Gastroenterologist in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Dr. Patel is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. Her top areas of expertise are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Painful Swallowing, Swallowing Difficulty, Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy.

Gazi Zibari is a General Surgeon and a Transplant Surgeon in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. Zibari is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Pancreatic Cancer, Familial Pancreatic Cancer, Visceromegaly, Pancreas Transplant, and Kidney Transplant. Dr. Zibari is currently accepting new patients.

. Dr. Kolongo is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Gastrostomy and Endoscopy.

Michael Banda is a General Surgeon and an Emergency Medicine provider in Bossier City, Louisiana. Dr. Banda is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Gallbladder Disease, Gallstones, Choledocholithiasis, Hernia Surgery, and Small Bowel Resection. Dr. Banda is currently accepting new patients.

. Dr. Khan is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), Gallbladder Disease, and Endoscopy.

James Howell is a General Surgeon in Bossier City, Louisiana. Dr. Howell is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Gallbladder Disease, Gallstones, Choledocholithiasis, Small Bowel Resection, and Hernia Surgery. Dr. Howell is currently accepting new patients.

Brian Eisner is a Urologist in Metairie, Louisiana. Dr. Eisner is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Kidney Stones, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Obstructive Uropathy, Ureteroscopy, and Lithotripsy. Dr. Eisner is currently accepting new patients.

Qiang Cai is a Gastroenterologist in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. Cai is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Gastroparesis, Achalasia, Pancreas Divisum, Gastrectomy, and Endoscopy.

David Johnson is a Radiologist in Crowley, Louisiana. Dr. Johnson is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Osteopenia, Melorheostosis with Osteopoikilosis, Melorheostosis, Colonoscopy, and Endoscopy.

Dr. Daniel Raines is an Assistant Professor in the LSUHSC Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and currently serves as the Acting Section Chief for LSU Gastroenterology. Dr. Raines attended medical school at LSU Shreveport School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He is a graduate of the LSUHSC Gastroenterology fellowship program and continued his career in this program as a faculty member. Dr. Raines specializes in the evaluation and treatment of digestive disease, including both gastroenterology and hepatology. His current focus of research is in the field of small bowel disease and is one of the few gastroenterologists in the country who performs balloon enteroscopy to evaluate the entire small intestine. Dr. Raines is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Angiodysplasia of the Colon, Neuroendocrine Tumor, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.

Sean Connolly is a Gastroenterologist in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Connolly is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Primary Biliary Cholangitis, Angiodysplasia of the Colon, Portal Hypertension, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Dr. Connolly is currently accepting new patients.

Matthew Rice is a Gastroenterologist in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Rice is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Angiodysplasia of the Colon, Watermelon Stomach, Esophageal Varices, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Dr. Rice is currently accepting new patients.

Edward Mccoul is an Otolaryngologist in Metairie, Louisiana. Dr. Mccoul is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Endoscopy. His top areas of expertise are Sinusitis, Nasal Polyps, Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP), Endoscopy, and Endoscopic Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery. Dr. Mccoul is currently accepting new patients.