It turns out the steady hands of a surgeon can do more than save lives; they can also catch a record-breaking fish.
Dr. J.J. Tabor, general surgeon with the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, broke at least one record this past weekend by reeling in a giant Warsaw grouper at the International Tarpon Rodeo at Grand Isle. The monster fish weighed in at an incredible 383.2 pounds.
Tabor already owned the state record for catching grouper with a 358-pound catch back in 2008. He now holds the new rodeo record for grouper, and once certified, will likely hold the state’s new record as well.
Needless to say, Tabor now has one heck of a fish story to tell his patients.
Read the article in Louisiana Sportsman about Dr. Tabor.
As a member of the general surgery team at Our Lady of the Lake, Dr. Tabor is Fellowship-trained in minimally-invasive and robotic surgery with a focus on oncologic surgery. He performs complex laparoscopic and robotic surgeries, and is widely regarded as a first-class surgeon at Our Lady of the Lake whose technical skill has earned him the respect of his peers and reputation as a top surgical talent in Baton Rouge.
In 2014, Dr. Tabor became the first surgeon in the Baton Rouge region to perform a robotic Whipple procedure, a complex surgery for pancreatic cancer that may extend life or be a potential cure. He is also part of the team that completed the first minimally-invasive esophagectomy in the area. Dr. Tabor also works extensively with training residents and teaching medical students. He has conducted extensive research and completed a Fellowship in complex hernia repair and reflux disease following bariatric surgery.
In addition to his medical achievements, Dr. Tabor has impressive accomplishments in the community. He is an avid outdoorsman and an award-winning fisherman. He is also currently working on volunteer projects to allow kids with disabilities and medical/oncology diagnoses an opportunity to enjoy fishing and the outdoors.