At the University of Iowa Health Care Department of Surgery, we are advancing the future of surgery through exceptional patient care, groundbreaking research, and world-class surgical education. Our multidisciplinary teams provide highly specialized care for patients with complex surgical conditions across every stage of life.

As home to one of Iowa’s two designated Level I Trauma Centers, the state’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, a certified regional Burn Treatment Center, and a nationally recognized Organ Transplant Center, UI Health Care delivers lifesaving care not widely available elsewhere in Iowa. Department specialists lead advanced programs in transplantation, cancer, vascular, colorectal, pediatric, and reconstructive surgery using innovative techniques and collaborative expertise to improve outcomes for patients across the region.

Education

Research

About Us

Leading innovation. Advancing surgical care for Iowa.

The Department of Surgery has helped shape the future of surgical care for decades, from performing the world’s first gastric bypass surgeries for morbid obesity to advancing today’s minimally invasive and robotic surgical techniques.

Innovation continues across the department through cutting-edge research, advanced surgical technology, and specialized resources that support complex patient care. Surgeons, scientists, and trainees work together to translate discoveries from the laboratory into real-world treatments that improve outcomes for patients across Iowa and beyond.

As an academic medical center, the department is also committed to training the next generation of surgical leaders. Medical students, residents, and fellows gain hands-on experience alongside nationally recognized surgeons and researchers while learning the latest techniques shaping the future of surgery.

>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

Internal Medicine Grand Rounds 5/28/2026

Thursday, May 28, 2026 12:00pm to 1:00pm
General Hospital

CPC: Connecting the Clues to Systemic Amyloidosis
Jennifer Houser, MD, Dennis Firchau, MD (Pathology), and Hira Shaikh, MBBS

Skills for Educators Workshop: Medical Improv

Friday, May 29, 2026 8:30am to 11:30am
University of Iowa Health Care University Campus
This interactive workshop will explore how improvisational theatre principles can enhance clinical communication skills.

Mobile Clinic — CommUnity Food Pantry

Saturday, May 30, 2026 9:00am to 12:00pm
CommUnity Food Pantry
Student run free medical clinic

Have a general question or want to learn more?

Reach out to us and we'd be happy to assist