About Todd S. Harris, MD

Todd S. Harris, MD is the Medical Director of California Hernia Specialists and a high-volume surgeon specializing in advanced abdominal wall reconstruction. Recognized as a national authority in hernia repair, Dr. Harris serves as the Principal Investigator for the nationwide NOPIOIDS clinical trial (NCT05929937), focusing on the development of narcotic-free surgical pathways. His peer-reviewed research on opioid-prescribing patterns and surgical outcomes is published and indexed in the National Library of Medicine (PMID: 39724506).

Clinical Leadership: An 11-year OCMA Physician of Excellence (2015–2026) and ACHQC Verified Surgeon of Quality.
High-Volume Expertise: Performs over 600 specialized hernia repairs annually, including laparoscopic, robotic, and “no-mesh” tissue repairs.
Academic Contribution: Serves as a national trainer for surgeons and a frequent guest speaker at the American Hernia Society (AHS) and Quality Collaborative (ACHQC) summits.

Todd S. Harris, MD Provides an Overview of Himself & California Hernia Specialists

“My passion and my focus is on taking care of patients with hernias. This dedication to a specific condition allows me to provide you with the best possible office experience and the best possible outcome after surgery. You can see by our overwhelmingly positive patient outcome data that my focused practice translates into successful medical care.”

-Dr. Harris, Medical Director, California Hernia Specialists

Welcome to California Hernia Specialists

Todd S. Harris, MD, the Medical Director for California Hernia Specialists, welcomes patients to our center and discusses what separates our hernia program from other options in your area.

Todd S. Harris, MD – Bio

Dr. Todd S. Harris is board certified in General Surgery as well as highly experienced in Hernia Surgery. He is the Medical Director of California Hernia Specialists and coordinates all clinical functions of the office and surgical center for hernia patients.

Dr. Harris was born and raised in South Carolina and is a graduate of Clemson University and The Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his general surgery training at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center in New York City. After completing his surgical residency, Dr. Harris returned for a Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology (CVIR) fellowship at the University of Minnesota. After completing his fellowship in 2008, he relocated to Orange County to develop his hernia practice.

Dr. Harris is a member of numerous societies including The American Hernia Society and The Orange County Medical Association. He has been awarded the Top Doctor – Physician of Excellence Award for the past 10 years. He is the highest rated hernia surgeon in the country on HealthGrades and Vitals. Because of his experience, he serves as a trainer for surgeons across the country who are interested in furthering their education in hernia repairs and has spoken at hernia conferences as a national leading hernia expert.

Outside of work Todd S. Harris, MD enjoys a variety of recreational activities. He is an avid runner and swimmer. He has competed in countless Olympic distance triathlons including Malibu, Miami South Beach, Santa Barbara, Escape Series, and OC Triathlon along with numerous 70.3 and Full Ironman races including Wildflower, Augusta GA, Dublin Ireland, IMAZ (Arizona), Santa Cruz, Coeur D’alene, and Salem OR. He balances cardiovascular activities with core and strength training. His interest in fitness allows him to appreciate getting patients back to what they enjoy as quickly and pain free as possible.

Past Patients About Dr. Harris

Would You Recommend Dr. Harris?

Past patients of Dr. Harris discuss how they feel about their decision to have surgery and what they think about Dr. Harris.

Independent and Outside Resources

We know that learning about your doctor is important and something that every patient should try to do before scheduling an appointment. That’s why we provide as many outside resources as possible. Patients are encouraged to visit:

HealthGrades.com – the top physician review site in the country, over 1200 Dr. Harris reviews and comments
Yelp – over 160 past patients share their opinions
Google – over 100 past patients share their opinions
Patient Testimonials – feedback from our past patients
Named a Physician of Excellence for 11 consecutive years (2015–2025) Physician of Excellence Award – awarded by the OCMA
Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative annual meeting – Guest speaker – Programs
Guest Speaker at the American Hernia Society 2025 – AHS Program
The Orange County Medical Association – highlighted for our hernia practice
The American Board of Surgery – Dr. Harris is board certified
Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award- Bio Page
Super Doctors Awards – Bio Page
Published Author on Opioid Reduction Initiatives for Ventral Hernias – Characterizing patterns of opioid prescribing after outpatient ventral hernia repair with mesh

Certification and Membership Matters

Dr. Harris has been named a Verified Surgeon of Quality by the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative due to his focus on hernia care, patient outcomes, and ongoing research. By selecting a VSOQ patients can ensure that they are giving themselves the best chance at a high quality outcome after their surgery. No one would want to fly with a pilot who only flys 1-2 times a month and the same goes for a patient who needs hernia surgery. Finding a surgeon with high volume and known outcomes improves a patient’s chance of having a successful outcome after their surgery.

Certification and Membership in national organizations shouldn’t be overlooked. It shows a commitment to being involved with cutting edge medicine, research, and with other leaders in the field. Dr. Harris is a member of numerous professional societies which ensures he is providing the best possible care to patients with hernias.

American Board of Medical Specialties American Board of Surgery Medical Board of California OCMA

California Medical License Number A105121
Member of the Orange County Medical Association – OCMA
American Board of Medical Specialties ABMS
Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative Verified Surgeon of Quality VSQ
Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative Opioid Reduction Initiative
Member of the California Medical Association CMA

Education

Dr. Harris participates in the education of medical and PA students from across the region.

Touro University Professor Certificate MA Teacher Thank you card PA Teacher Thank you card

Important Points To Consider When Choosing Your Hernia Surgeon:

Be sure to find a surgeon who focus’ on hernias, makes them a priority in their practice, tracks their patient outcomes and publishes that data for future patients to review. This will help you choose a quality surgeon for your care.
Ensure your surgeon performs a high volume of hernia surgeries. No one in any field can be proficient if they are only doing something a couple of times a month.
Being treated at a specialized hernia center with a dedicated team of nurses, doctors and staff members provides the highest quality care before, during, and after your hernia surgery and allows for more successful outcomes.

Patients should be seen by a surgeon who can offer all forms of hernia surgery, including no mesh, mesh, open and advanced minimally invasive techniques. This ensures your surgeon can offer the best technique tailored for your case.
Most laparoscopic patients experience less pain postoperatively and often can return to normal activities sooner. Laparoscopic hernia surgery can result in better patient experiences for some patients.
Knowing what the expected recovery will include, including pain management, sets the road to a successful outcome even before the surgery starts.

Why Dr. Harris For Your Hernia Care?

One of the only surgeons in the country to publish his Nationally Recognized Patient Outcome Data – for future patients to review
The highest volume hernia surgeon on the West Coast performing over 600 hernia repairs per year
Awarded the prestigious Orange County Medical Association Physician of Excellence Award 11 consecutive years (2015 – 2026)

The highest rated hernia surgeon in the country on HealthGrades, Google, and Yelp
Patient outcomes – recurrence rates, chronic pain, complications – which are consistently lower than other surgeons
Invited guest speaker for the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative Improvement Summit as an expert in hernia repair