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Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR

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Specializes in: Bariatric Surgery and General Surgery

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine (2005)

Professional interests include: gastrointestinal problems (digestive disorders), acid reflux (GERD), hernia surgery, and more.

9200 Pinecroft Drive Suite 250
Shenandoah, TX 77380

(281) 419-8400

Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR is a bariatric surgeon in Shenandoah, TX specializing in bariatric surgery and general surgery. He graduated from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine in 2005 and has 20 years of experience. Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR is affiliated with St. Luke's Health, Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, WOODLANDS SURGICAL ASSOCIATES PLLC and The Woodlands Hospital - The Woodlands, TX.

Office Locations

Address:

9200 Pinecroft Drive Suite 250
Shenandoah, TX 77380

Address:

9200 Pinecroft Drive Suite 250
The Woodlands, TX 77380

Some issues Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR can help you with:

Gastrointestinal Problems (Digestive Disorders)

The gastrointestinal system, or GI tract, is the name given to a collection of organs that work together to digest food. These organs fit together in a long tube, running from the mouth to the anus, and include the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, among others. With so many parts working together, complicated by today's busy lifestyles and diets, digestive problems are common. As many as 1 in 3 Americans have a digestive or GI disorder. There are a huge variety of digestive problems, but the most common are IBS, constipation, GERD, hemorrhoids, and ulcers.

IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, happens when the muscles surrounding the colon contract too easily or frequently. The result is abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea or constipation, gas and bloating. IBS attacks can often be brought on by specific triggers, so a key part of treatment is learning which foods trigger IBS attacks and avoiding them. Treatment also includes exercise, avoiding stress, and medications if needed.

Constipation, or large, hard, or infrequent stools, happens to everyone at some point. It can be caused by a disruption in routine or food, or by eating a diet without many fresh fruits and vegetables. Although it is uncomfortable, constipation is common and usually not serious, but it can sometimes become chronic. Adding fiber to the diet, exercising, and taking medications may help.

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a severe form of chronic heartburn where stomach acid spills back up into the esophagus. Left untreated, the acid may even eat away at the esophagus and cause serious damage. Treatment includes changing the diet to avoid trigger foods, losing weight if needed, medications, or even surgery.

Hemorrhoids are blood vessels around the rectum that become irritated, swollen or torn while straining during a bowel movement. They are most often caused by constipation, but can also be caused by pregnancy, diarrhea, or simply a genetic predisposition towards hemorrhoids. Treatment involves first treating any constipation issues, then keeping the area clean and soothed until it has healed. If these measures are ineffective, surgery is sometimes used.

Peptic ulcers are sores or spots of inflammation in the lining of the stomach or close to the stomach in the small intestine. Usually this area is coated with a protective lining that shields the tissue from the strong stomach acid, but a break in the lining can let acid in, causing the sores. It used to be thought that stress caused ulcers, but now it is known that is not the case. Most often, they are caused by an infection by H. pylori bacteria, but ulcers can also be caused by alcohol abuse or overuse of aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or other NSAIDS. The symptoms of an ulcer are pain, hunger, nausea, and fatigue.

Gastrointestinal problems, perhaps more than any other area, are markedly affected by lifestyle. Many disorders can be prevented or treated at least in part by eating a healthy diet high in fiber, exercising regularly, drinking enough water, and limiting alcohol intake. Still, the frequency of digestive disorders means that even the healthiest person can be affected by them. Anyone who notices blood in their stool, experiences abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, or any significant change in bowel movements should see a doctor.

Weight Loss Surgery (Bariatric Surgery)

Bariatric or weight-loss surgery is a surgical procedure performed to help significantly obese patients lose weight when more traditional methods, such as dieting and exercise, have not helped. Depending on the type, these surgeries change the gastrointestinal tract to limit how much food can be eaten and also change how food is absorbed by the body. Of the various bariatric surgeries available, the most common is gastric bypass.

By far the most common of the gastric bypass surgeries is called Roux-en-Y. During this surgery, part of the stomach and small intestine are detached from the gastrointestinal tract, in order to make the tract smaller. The surgeon divides the stomach into two parts. The working stomach, at the end of the esophagus, is now tiny - only the size of a walnut. This makes patients feel full after eating a small amount of food. Then the small intestine is also divided, and after bypassing a section of the small intestine to reduce food absorption, the intestine is attached to the small stomach pouch. The patient now has a working stomach and intestine like before, only much smaller.

Because gastric bypass is used to treat extreme obesity, it can reduce the risk of some of the problems associated with obesity. Gastric bypass can help treat or reduce the risk for such conditions as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes. However, it is a major surgery and also carries risks itself. Any surgery can lead to infection, bleeding, or blood clots, and weight loss surgery in particular carries risks of leaks in the gastrointestinal system, malnutrition, bowel obstructions, and vomiting.

Typically patients are considered candidates for gastric bypass surgery if they have a BMI greater than 40, or sometimes if they have a BMI between 35 and 40 but are suffering from obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes. The outlook is generally good, with most patients losing between 50-75% of their excess weight in 1-2 years. However, patients must follow strict diet guidelines so that the stomach can heal, starting with no food at all, then followed by a liquid diet for some time. For many severely obese patients who have tried strict diets before without success, gastric bypass surgery is the tool that allows them to finally achieve their weight loss and health goals.

**Gender**
Male	79
Female	89

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	147
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	80
From 75 to 84	41
85 and over	18
Less than 65	29

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	56
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	39
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	21
Heart Failure	38
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	29
Diabetes	39
Dementia	13
Cancer	18

doctor visit	116
hospital care	132
inpatient care	132

**Gender**
Male	72
Female	98

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	148
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	96
From 75 to 84	37
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	47
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	36
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	15
Heart Failure	33
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	25
Diabetes	42
Dementia	11
Cancer	15

doctor visit	147
gastrointestinal procedures	10
hospital care	140
inpatient care	140
minimally invasive procedures	10
weight management	14

**Gender**
Male	162
Female	188

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	318
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	164
From 75 to 84	86
85 and over	28
Less than 65	72

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	45
Depression	36
Chronic Kidney Disease	39
Asthma	19
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	17
Heart Failure	30
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	27
Diabetes	47
Dementia	14
Cancer	13

doctor visit	141
gastrointestinal procedures	7
hospital care	177
inpatient care	177
minimally invasive procedures	7
weight management	11

**Gender**
Male	78
Female	113

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	158
Black	16
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	82
From 75 to 84	46
85 and over	13
Less than 65	50

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	40
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	45
Asthma	24
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	19
Heart Failure	31
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	21
Diabetes	45
Dementia	13
Cancer	13

doctor visit	173
gastrointestinal procedures	40
hospital care	136
inpatient care	136
minimally invasive procedures	40
weight management	23

**Gender**
Male	75
Female	120

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	164
Black	16
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	108
From 75 to 84	33
85 and over	13
Less than 65	41

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	37
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	24
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	39
Dementia	10
Cancer	15

doctor visit	254
gastrointestinal procedures	69
hospital care	63
inpatient care	63
minimally invasive procedures	69
weight management	24

**Gender**
Male	52
Female	109

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	124
Black	0
Hispanic	17
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	90
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	39

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	40
Depression	39
Chronic Kidney Disease	40
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	25
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	40
Dementia	12
Cancer	9

doctor visit	251
gastrointestinal procedures	73
minimally invasive procedures	73
weight management	20

**Gender**
Male	48
Female	98

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	123
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	96
From 75 to 84	25
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	42
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	40
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	42
Dementia	9
Cancer	8

diagnostic procedures	13
doctor visit	199
gastrointestinal procedures	64
minimally invasive procedures	64
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	13
weight management	14

**Gender**
Male	36
Female	72

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	94
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	75
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	19

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	72
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	34
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	17
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	39
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	440
gastrointestinal procedures	78
hospital care	20
inpatient care	20
minimally invasive procedures	78
weight management	16

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR treated as a bariatric surgeon in Shenandoah, TX were hospital care, inpatient care, minimally invasive procedures and gastrointestinal procedures.

catheterization	13
diagnostic procedures	13
doctor visit	201
gastrointestinal procedures	51
hospital care	118
inpatient care	118
minimally invasive procedures	51
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	13
weight management	17

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR.

**Gender**
Female	88
Male	60

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	3
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	127
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	1
Other	0

**Age**
85 and over	7
75 to 84	26
Less than 65	25
65 to 74	79

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	50
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	9
Osteoporosis	4
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	33
Atrial Fibrillation	11
Cancer	9
Dementia	8

Education & Training

Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR graduated from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine in 2005. He completed residency at University of South Alabama Affiliated Hospitals. He has a state license in Texas.

Medical School: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine (2005)

Residency: University of South Alabama Affiliated Hospitals (2010)

Licensed In: Texas

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

St. Luke's Health

Houston Methodist

Memorial Hermann

WOODLANDS SURGICAL ASSOCIATES PLLC

The Woodlands Hospital - The Woodlands, TX

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR appears to accept the following insurance providers: Aetna Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Amerigroup, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, Amerigroup Star Plus, Amerigroup Star, WorkLink Worker's Comp, Community Health Choice Star, HMO Blue Texas, Memorial Hermann Advantage HMO, Memorial Hermann Solutions, Community Health Choice Marketplace QHP, Community Health Choice Chip, Amerivantage and Memorial Hermann Advantage PPO.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR accepts the following insurance providers:

Aetna Medicare

Medicare Advantage

Amerigroup

United Healthcare

Aetna

Cigna

BlueCross BlueShield of Texas

Amerigroup Star Plus

Amerigroup Star

WorkLink Worker's Comp

Community Health Choice Star

HMO Blue Texas

Memorial Hermann Advantage HMO

Memorial Hermann Solutions

Community Health Choice Marketplace QHP

Community Health Choice Chip

Amerivantage

Memorial Hermann Advantage PPO

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Drew David Howard, MD, MAR. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.	$15,435 Da Vinci Surgical System $15,435
Ethicon US, LLC	$867 LINX Reflux Management System $267	ECHELON FLEX Stapler $264	ENSEAL $75	ENSEAL Product Family $54	Echelon Endopath Staple Line Reinforcement $39	Other $168
Baxter Healthcare	$432 PERI-STRIPS DRY $377	TISSEEL $55
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.	$278 SEAMGUARD Bioabsorbable Staple $278
Medtronic, Inc.	$227 Sonicision $195	ENDOFLIP $32
Other	$1,052 1688 HD 3 CHIP CAMERA $162	AlloDerm $108	OviTex Reinforced Bioscaffold With Permanent Polymer (OviTex) $106	SurgiMend $84	STRATTICE RECONSTRUCTIVE TISSUE MATRIX BPS $72	Other $521

**Types of Payments**
Education	$10,500
Food and Beverage	$4,163
Travel and Lodging	$3,612
Gift	$16

Biography

Dr. Drew Howard's specialties are general surgery and bariatric surgery. He practices in The Woodlands, TX and Shenandoah, TX. These areas are among his clinical interests: esophageal surgery, hernia surgery, and gallstones. He is professionally affiliated with Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, and St. Luke's Health. Dr. Howard takes Amerigroup, Aetna Medicare, and Blue California, in addition to other insurance carriers. His practice in The Woodlands, TX is open to new patients as reported by St. Luke's Health. After completing medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine, he performed his residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of South Alabama.