About Dr. Emily Speer
Emily Speer, MD, is Medical Director of Minimally Invasive and Foregut Surgery at Lutheran Hospital. A fellowship-trained foregut and minimally invasive surgeon with a particular interest in anti-reflux procedures, she sees patients at the Lutheran Clinic – Weight Loss & Reflux Center in Wheat Ridge.
Leadership
Medical Director, Minimally Invasive and Foregut Surgery
Lutheran Hospital
- Co-chair and moderator, Foregut Scientific Session — SAGES Annual Meeting, 2022
- Co-chair, SAGES Mini Medical School — 2022
- Invited faculty, SAGES Annual Meetings, 2020–2026, and IRCAD North America, 2026
Education & training
- 2009
Medical school
Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
Doctor of Medicine
- 2014
Residency
University of Colorado
General surgery
- 2015
Fellowship
Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
Advanced GI and minimally invasive surgery, with Lee Swanstrom, MD, and colleagues
Years shown are completion years.
Board certification
Board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery.
Hospital affiliation
- Lutheran Hospital, Wheat Ridge
Clinical focus
Dr. Speer is trained in all areas of general surgery. As a fellowship-trained foregut and minimally invasive surgeon, her areas of specialized expertise include:
- Surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), including laparoscopic tailored fundoplication
- Hiatal and paraesophageal hernia repair, including reoperative (redo) repairs
- Esophageal disorders such as achalasia, including myotomy and per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM)
- LINX magnetic sphincter augmentation for GERD
- Advanced endoscopy
- Gastroparesis surgery
- Weight loss (bariatric) surgery
- Gallbladder surgery and robotic surgery
Additional training
Her training also includes:
- Radiofrequency ablation (BARRX) for Barrett’s esophagus
- Flexible endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy for Zenker’s diverticulum
- Esophageal dilation
- Pyloroplasty, G-POEM, and gastrectomy for gastroparesis
- Incisionless surgery
Whether a particular treatment is right for you — and where it’s offered — is something to discuss at your visit.
Honors
- SAGES Recognition of Excellence Gold Coin Award (2022) — Awarded to surgeons recognized for the greatest contributions to SAGES.
- Top finalist abstract, Denver Academy of Surgeons (2019) — For a case report on return of normal esophageal peristalsis after Heller myotomy for type 2 achalasia.
- “Top 25” award with scholarship, Digestive Disease Week / SSAT (2015) — For research on the clinical burden of laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy tubes.
“Patient satisfaction and safety are at the core of Dr. Speer’s decision-making, and she strives to provide the very best and most compassionate care to each patient by individually tailoring treatment plans to fit each person’s need.”
Research & teaching
Dr. Speer’s published work includes first-author research in Surgical Endoscopy and the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery and book chapters on the esophagus and endoscopic surgery. She is a regular invited speaker for SAGES and teaches hands-on endoscopy for IRCAD North America and the University of Colorado Hospital.
Finding Dr. Speer in directories
In online provider directories, Dr. Speer may be listed as Emily A. Speer Heffner, MD.
Appointments
Talk with Dr. Speer about your symptoms and options.
Whether you are starting an evaluation, looking for a second opinion, or have had symptoms return after surgery, the first step is a conversation and a careful look at your history and tests.