Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Pinnar, M.D., FACS.
Hi Eric, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been practicing surgery for more than 25 years, but my path to where I am today was shaped gradually through experience rather than a single defining moment.
I trained as a general surgeon and spent many years practicing broadly, caring for thousands of patients with a wide range of surgical conditions. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work alongside my father, who was also an excellent and well-respected general surgeon in the community. Watching how he practiced medicine reinforced for me the importance of technical excellence, personal responsibility, continuity of care, and genuine respect for the patient-physician relationship.
As my career progressed, I became deeply interested in minimally invasive and later robotic surgery, and I was an early adopter of robotic techniques. I was drawn to innovation that genuinely improved outcomes and reduced risk for patients, and I spent much of my professional life adopting and helping refine newer approaches when they clearly offered real benefit.
Over time, I found myself increasingly focused on hernia repair. Hernias are extremely common and affect people from all walks of life, often interfering with work, activity, and daily comfort. Yet despite how common they are, many patients feel rushed, confused, or disconnected from their care, with little clarity around treatment options or what the process will ultimately involve.
Another strong motivation in building my practice was accessibility. I saw many patients delay or avoid hernia surgery not because they didn’t need it, but because the process felt overwhelming or financially unpredictable. This included people without health insurance, as well as those who were insured but faced high deductibles and unclear out-of-pocket expenses. I felt strongly that necessary surgical care should be understandable and attainable, not intimidating.
Those experiences ultimately led me to intentionally narrow my focus and create Advanced Hernia Specialists as a practice dedicated exclusively to hernia care. The goal was to combine deep specialization with a thoughtful, patient-centered approach. That means spending time educating patients, being transparent about options and pricing, embracing innovation when it truly improves outcomes, and remaining directly involved from consultation through recovery.
Today, my practice cares for patients locally and from across the country, many of whom seek us out for complex cases or because they want a more personal, deliberate approach to their care. Looking back, the journey has been about aligning experience, innovation, and values. I wanted to practice medicine in a way that feels honest, sustainable, and respectful of patients’ trust, and building this practice has allowed me to do exactly that.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, though I wouldn’t expect it to be.
Any long career in medicine comes with challenges, but some of the most meaningful struggles came from recognizing when the traditional systems I was working within no longer aligned with how I wanted to practice. Over time, I became increasingly aware of the tension between efficiency-driven healthcare models and the kind of thoughtful, patient-centered care I believed in. That disconnect can be frustrating for both physicians and patients.
Building a highly specialized, independent practice came with its own set of challenges. Narrowing my focus meant stepping away from the familiarity and security of a broad general surgery practice and committing fully to a single area of care. It required careful planning, a willingness to take calculated risks, and a great deal of persistence.
There were also practical hurdles. Educating patients about a different model of care, especially one built around transparency and access, takes time and trust. Many patients arrive understandably cautious, having had prior experiences that left them uncertain or overwhelmed. Earning that trust consistently has been one of the most important and demanding parts of the journey.
That said, those challenges were also clarifying. Each obstacle reinforced why this approach mattered and helped refine how the practice operates today. Looking back, the difficulties were not detours but necessary steps that shaped both the structure of the practice and my perspective as a physician.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Advanced Hernia Specialists is a focused surgical practice dedicated exclusively to the diagnosis and treatment of hernias. What makes the practice different is both its specialization and its philosophy.
Rather than offering hernia repair as one part of a broader general surgery practice, we chose to narrow our focus intentionally. By concentrating solely on hernia care, including complex, recurrent, and challenging cases, we are able to bring a high level of consistency, experience, and attention to each patient. That focus allows us to refine techniques, thoughtfully adopt minimally invasive and robotic approaches, and tailor treatment plans to the individual rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all model.
Another defining aspect of the practice is transparency and accessibility. Many patients come to us feeling uncertain or overwhelmed by their prior experiences, whether because of fragmented care, rushed visits, or unclear expectations around cost. We place a strong emphasis on education, open communication, and predictable pricing, so patients understand their options and feel comfortable making informed decisions about their care.
What I am most proud of, from a brand perspective, is that the practice reflects how I believe medicine should be practiced. We remain directly involved with our patients from the initial consultation through recovery, and we take personal responsibility for outcomes. Patients often tell us they feel heard, respected, and reassured throughout the process, which matters just as much as technical success.
Ultimately, Advanced Hernia Specialists was built to offer a thoughtful, specialized, and patient-centered alternative for people dealing with a very common but often underestimated problem. My hope is that readers understand that the practice exists not just to perform surgery, but to make the entire experience clearer, calmer, and more human for the people we serve.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was naturally curious, analytical, and fairly self-directed. I was calm and steady by nature, very detail-oriented, and deeply responsible from an early age. I’ve never been particularly flashy or competitive, but I’ve always cared a great deal about doing things well and understanding why things work the way they do. If something didn’t make sense to me, I felt compelled to question it, not out of defiance, but out of a genuine desire to understand the framework behind it.
I was encouraged to think independently at home and given a great deal of freedom, along with high expectations. Medicine felt very normal to me growing up. My father was a physician, and I spent a lot of time in hospitals from a young age, often accompanying him on rounds. I got to know nurses, patients, and other physicians as people, not just professionals, and that exposure made the world of medicine feel familiar, human, and accessible rather than intimidating.
Academically, I was drawn to science, biology, reading, and learning how things fit together. I loved building and fixing things and always had a creative and artistic side. I’ve always loved music, especially live music, and spent a lot of time outdoors hiking, camping, and exploring nature. I participated in biological expeditions in places like Ecuador and Costa Rica, which reinforced both my curiosity and my appreciation for complexity and systems.
Long before becoming a physician, I spent years working in healthcare in very hands-on roles. I volunteered in hospitals before I could drive, worked as a nursing assistant in the recovery room, became an operating room technician, and later worked as a paramedic and emergency department technician while in college and medical school. Those experiences grounded me early and gave me a deep respect for teamwork, responsibility, and patient care at every level.
When faced with challenges growing up, my instinct was always to push harder and solve the problem methodically. I’ve always been patient, persistent, and comfortable taking responsibility, and I take pride in mastering difficult things. I’m very driven by fairness, clarity, and doing things right the first time, even if it takes longer. Teachers often described me as inquisitive, thoughtful, and genuinely caring, and friends frequently came to me for advice because I was calm, analytical, genuine, and willing to listen.
Looking back, many of the traits that define me now were already there early on. A desire for depth over shortcuts, a discomfort with chaos and inefficiency, a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility, and a constant need to understand the “why” behind the “how.” Those tendencies can sometimes be demanding, even on myself, but they’ve also shaped how I approach my work and the way I try to show up for others.
Pricing:
- We emphasize transparent, upfront discussions around cost so patients understand their options before making decisions.
- Our practice works with both insured and self-pay patients, including those with high-deductible plans or without health insurance.
- Pricing varies based on the type and complexity of the hernia and is reviewed personally with each patient.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.advancedherniaspecialists.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advancedherniaspecialists/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedHerniaSpecialists
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-d-pinnar-md-facs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdvancedHernia
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/advanced-hernia-specialists-jacksonville?osq=Advanced+Hernia+Specialists
