The University of Iowa Department of Surgery faculty and staff take pride in providing leading-edge patient care, advancing the field of surgery through first-rate research, and delivering superior education and training to the next generation of surgeons.

The department’s surgeons and medical professionals address a wide variety of complex medical issues, from matching donors with recipients in the Organ Transplant Center to providing continuous care for both adult and pediatric trauma victims in one of the state’s two designated Level I Trauma Centers and a certified regional Burn Treatment Center. Specialists provide critical surgical support among comprehensive, multidisciplinary teams for the treatment of cancer, gastrointestinal and colorectal diseases, and vascular ailments, as well as advanced surgical care for the smallest pediatric patients. Skilled plastic and reconstructive surgeons manage complex reconstructive issues resulting from deformities, traumatic injuries, or cancer excision in both adult and pediatric patients, in addition to surgical and non-surgical cosmetic services for adults.

Education

Research

About Us

The department provides critical and unique resources for Iowa. 

Years ago, surgery faculty at Iowa performed the world’s first gastric-bypass surgeries for morbidly obese patients. Today, the department continues its commitment to innovative surgical procedures and techniques in all areas, such as minimally invasive and robotic surgery, while offering advanced technologies like the positive pressure isolation room and state-of-the-art hydrotherapy facility for burn patients.

Patient care in the UI Department of Surgery is informed by basic science and clinical research—translating the latest discoveries from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside as well as into every aspect of education and training. Fellows, residents, and medical students are exposed to revolutionary medicine and surgical techniques that will enhance their skills, and the department’s faculty value the opportunity to shape today’s learners into tomorrow’s best and brightest surgeons.

>41K

Department of Surgery Visits

35

consecutive years ranked as one of the best academic hospitals in the U.S.

# 1

Iowa's #1 hospital as ranked by U.S. news & world report

Carver College of Medicine Events

ACB Seminar Series - Madhuri Bendale & Zewei Zhang promotional image

ACB Seminar Series - Madhuri Bendale & Zewei Zhang

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 9:30am to 10:30am
Bowen Science Building

Madhuri Bendale, a Cell and Developmental Biology Student in the Frank Lab, will present a seminar titled “The Scaffolding Protein Dlin-7/Veli Gates Presynaptic Homeostatic Plasticity At The Fly NMJ."

Zewei Zhang, a Cell and Developmental Biology Student in the Rutkowski Lab, will present a seminar titled “Cell Differentiation Increases ER Stress."

REDCap MyCap Training

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 10:00am to 11:00am
Virtual

This is the fifth step in the REDCap training series. In this training, we will discuss using the MyCap mobile app for data collection. We will cover features such as:

Creating participants

Creating tasks and schedules

Active tasks and their unique data output

Direct messages and announcements

This training is a demo and not hands-on. After this training, you will have a basic understanding of the MyCap mobile app for REDCap.

Register by clicking the virtual event link above or by going here:  https:/...

Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Seminar, Ayushi Mittal promotional image

Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Seminar, Ayushi Mittal

Thursday, May 14, 2026 9:30am to 10:30am
Bowen Science Building

Have a general question or want to learn more?

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