Grand Rounds Speaker | Dr. Lyssa Ochoa

Sep 2, 2025

The Department of Surgery was honored to host Dr. Lyssa Ochoa, MD, FACS, FSVS, as the academic year’s inaugural Grand Rounds speaker. Dr. Ochoa is a board-certified vascular surgeon and the founder of the South Texas Vascular and Endovascular (SAVE) Clinic in San Antonio.  

Raised along the Texas-Mexico border and trained at Baylor College of Medicine, she has dedicated her career to addressing the disproportionate rates of diabetes-related amputations affecting underserved communities in South Texas. Dr. Ochoa’s Grand Rounds presentation, “San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular Surgery: Addressing SDoH in Community Practice,” underscored how social determinants of health directly influence vascular outcomes and highlighted community-centered strategies to reduce preventable amputations. 

Through the SAVE Clinic, Dr. Ochoa has built a model that combines lifestyle education, optimal medical management, advanced endovascular techniques, and close patient follow-up to deliver compassionate, individualized care. Beyond the clinic, she has forged partnerships with hospitals, universities, managed care organizations, and local leaders to develop amputation-prevention programs and raise awareness across San Antonio. Hearing from Dr. Ochoa’s firsthand experience was both inspiring and practical, reminding us of the role surgeons can play in bridging gaps in healthcare access, advancing equity, and serving as advocates for vulnerable patient populations.