Name: Dr. Gary S. Hathaway

Specialty: General Surgery | Minimally Invasive Surgery

Qualification/Board Certification: MD – University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago

Affiliation(s): WellStar Kennestone Hospital | WellStar Windy Hill Hospital | WellStar Medical Group, LLC

Location (City/State): Marietta, Georgia

Languages Spoken: English

Accepting New Patients: Yes

NPI Number: 1164489373

About the Doctor

Dr. Gary S. Hathaway is one of the most trusted and accomplished general surgeons serving the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, whose more than three decades of surgical experience, rigorous academic training, and exceptional patient satisfaction record have established him as a premier surgical specialist in the WellStar Health System and the broader Marietta, Georgia community. He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago — a highly regarded public medical institution with a strong tradition of training clinically excellent physicians — and completed a comprehensive surgery residency at Boston University Medical Center from 1988 to 1996, one of the country’s respected academic surgical training programs affiliated with Boston Medical Center, the largest safety-net hospital in New England.

This eight-year surgical residency at an academically distinguished program provided Dr. Hathaway with extraordinary depth and breadth of general surgical training — spanning elective and emergency abdominal surgery, minimally invasive techniques, trauma surgery, and the full spectrum of conditions managed by a comprehensive general surgery service. This extensive residency foundation, combined with more than two decades of post-training clinical practice, has produced a surgeon of exceptional technical refinement and clinical judgment.

Dr. Hathaway practices at WellStar Medical Group, LLC in Marietta, Georgia — one of Georgia’s largest and most respected health systems — where he works alongside a distinguished multidisciplinary team of oncologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, internists, and family medicine physicians. This rich collaborative practice environment ensures that surgical patients benefit from integrated, coordinated care across the full spectrum of their medical and surgical needs. His documented areas of highest surgical expertise — groin hernia surgery, gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), and abdominal hernia repair — are all procedures he performs at volumes that significantly exceed the Georgia state average, reflecting the deep trust that the Marietta community places in his surgical skill and experience for these common but consequential operations.

Dr. Hathaway is affiliated with WellStar Kennestone Hospital — ranked #6 in Georgia — providing his surgical patients with access to one of the state’s premier hospital environments for both elective and emergency general surgical care. His minimally invasive surgery subspecialty ensures that patients benefit from the least invasive, most recovery-friendly surgical approaches available whenever clinically appropriate, minimizing downtime and optimizing outcomes.

With a perfect 5 out of 5 patient rating based on 54 total reviews — and perfect scores for thoroughness of examination and ability to answer questions — Dr. Hathaway has earned four distinguished patient experience awards: Patients’ Top Choice, Patients Recommend, Clearly Explains, and Performs Thorough Exams. He has additionally been recognized with multiple professional awards and honors, further affirming his status as a surgeon of exceptional reputation both clinically and within the broader surgical community. He holds an active Georgia State Medical License through 2027 and previously held licensure in California.

Education & Training

Medical School – University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago (MD)

Residency – Surgery, Boston University Medical Center (1988–1996)

Fellowship/Additional Training – Minimally Invasive Surgery | Advanced Laparoscopic Techniques

Subspecialty Focus – General Surgery | Minimally Invasive Surgery | Hernia Surgery | Gallbladder Surgery

Medical Conditions Treated

• Inguinal (Groin) Hernia
• Ventral, Incisional, and Umbilical Hernia
• Gallbladder Disease and Cholelithiasis (Gallstones)
• Acute Cholecystitis (Inflamed Gallbladder)
• Appendicitis and Appendiceal Disease
• Diverticulitis and Colon Conditions
• Colorectal Disease (Colon Cancer, Polyps, Rectal Conditions)
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) — Surgical Management
• Hiatal Hernia and Esophageal Conditions
• Abdominal Wall Defects and Complex Hernias
• Soft Tissue Infections Requiring Surgical Intervention
• Skin and Soft Tissue Tumors and Masses
• Bowel Obstruction and Intestinal Conditions
• Thyroid and Parathyroid Conditions Requiring Surgery
• Abdominal Pain — Surgical Evaluation and Management

Medical Procedures Performed

• Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair (TEP and TAPP)
• Open Inguinal Hernia Repair
• Laparoscopic Ventral and Incisional Hernia Repair
• Open Abdominal Hernia Repair with Mesh
• Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Removal)
• Laparoscopic Appendectomy
• Laparoscopic Colon and Rectal Surgery
• Laparoscopic Anti-Reflux Surgery (Nissen Fundoplication)
• Laparoscopic Hiatal Hernia Repair
• Bowel Resection and Intestinal Reconstruction
• Soft Tissue Mass and Cyst Excision
• Skin and Soft Tissue Tumor Removal
• Thyroidectomy and Parathyroidectomy
• Minimally Invasive Robotic-Assisted General Surgery
• Surgical Consultation and Second Opinion Services

Services Offered

Dr. Hathaway’s general surgery practice at WellStar Medical Group, LLC in Marietta, Georgia offers a comprehensive and highly refined range of surgical services — with a defining emphasis on minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques that prioritize smaller incisions, reduced post-operative discomfort, shorter hospital stays, and faster return to daily activities for every patient who is a suitable candidate. His practice serves patients requiring both elective surgical procedures and urgent or semi-urgent surgical interventions, delivering expert care with the thoroughness and clarity that his patients consistently recognize and celebrate.

Hernia surgery is the unambiguous centerpiece of Dr. Hathaway’s surgical expertise. He performs inguinal hernia repairs, ventral hernia repairs, incisional hernia repairs, and umbilical hernia repairs at volumes that significantly exceed the Georgia state average — a reflection of the community’s strong trust in his surgical skill for these procedures and the outstanding outcomes his patients routinely experience. Utilizing advanced laparoscopic techniques for the vast majority of hernia repairs, Dr. Hathaway minimizes surgical trauma and recovery time while ensuring durable, tension-free repairs that are designed to minimize the risk of hernia recurrence. For complex or recurrent hernias that may not be suitable for laparoscopic repair, he also performs open surgical approaches with meticulous attention to tissue handling and mesh placement.

Gallbladder surgery is the second pillar of Dr. Hathaway’s high-volume procedural expertise. He performs laparoscopic cholecystectomy — the gold-standard minimally invasive removal of the gallbladder — for patients with symptomatic gallstones, acute cholecystitis, and other gallbladder conditions. His extensive experience with this procedure, performed at volumes well above the state average, ensures that patients can expect consistently safe, efficient, and technically precise surgical care with optimal recovery trajectories.

Beyond hernia and gallbladder surgery, Dr. Hathaway provides comprehensive general surgical consultation and operative management for a broad range of abdominal and soft tissue conditions — from appendicitis and diverticulitis through colorectal disease, anti-reflux surgery, and soft tissue tumor removal. His minimally invasive subspecialty training allows him to apply laparoscopic approaches across the widest possible range of these procedures, consistently delivering the benefits of modern minimally invasive surgery to his patients throughout the WellStar Health System.

Services include:

• Surgical consultation and preoperative surgical evaluation
• Inguinal (groin) hernia repair — laparoscopic and open
• Ventral, incisional, and umbilical hernia repair — laparoscopic and open
• Complex and recurrent hernia repair
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
• Laparoscopic appendectomy
• Anti-reflux surgery (laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication) for GERD
• Hiatal hernia repair (laparoscopic)
• Minimally invasive colon and rectal surgery
• Bowel resection and intestinal reconstruction
• Soft tissue mass, cyst, and tumor excision
• Thyroid and parathyroid surgical procedures
• Emergency and urgent general surgical consultation
• Post-surgical follow-up and recovery management
• Second opinion surgical consultations

Accepted Insurances

• Aetna (EPO, HMO, Medicare, POS, PPO)
• Alliant Health Plans (EPO)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (POS)
• Cigna (PPO)
• CMS Medicare
• Elevance (Medicaid)
• RI State Medicaid (Medicaid)
• United Healthcare (HMO, Medicare, POS, PPO)

Practice Locations

Location 1 WellStar Medical Group, LLC address:  590 Nancy St NW Marietta, GA 30060

Phone: (770) 423-0395

Hospital Affiliations

• WellStar Kennestone Hospital — Marietta, GA (Ranked #6 in Georgia)
• WellStar Windy Hill Hospital — Marietta, GA