JOHN HAGEN

John Hagen

About Dr. John Hagen

Dr. John Hagen is a staff surgeon at the Humber River Regional Hospital, as well as the Medical Director of Bariatrics. With a clinical focus in laparoscopic surgery, he is actively involved in the minimally invasive fellowship training program in the Department of Surgery. In 2014, the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons honoured him with the Mentor of the Year Award – Region 3 (Ontario & Nunavut) in recognition of his commitment to medical education both within the community and abroad.

Efforts Abroad

Dr. Hagen has facilitated three trips to China in the spirit of knowledge and skill exchange with the local Chinese surgeons. A team of North American doctors visit hospitals across the country to provide interactive lecture sessions that are translated and broadcasted. Dr. Hagen has primarily taught laparoscopic colon resections and cholecystectomies during these lecture sessions. To facilitate the exchange of trainees, two minimally invasive fellows from Toronto are sent to China and two Chinese surgeons are sent to Humber River for about 6-8 weeks.

Dr. Hagen has also traveled to Guatemala with HELPS International to provide primary care for patients in impoverished and remote areas of the country. These missions typically consist of 70-80 volunteers with two general surgeons, two plastic surgeons, four anesthetists, one gynecologist, and ve general practitioners. Other volunteers include nurses, translators, and cooks. Surgery is typically done for about seven days with the majority of the cases being hernias, as remote regions as such typically face limited diagnostic ability.