Main navigation
About Us
University of Iowa Health Care is located in Iowa City, Iowa, a college town of 70,000 located on both banks of the Iowa River near the intersection of the U.S. Interstate Highways of 80 and 380 in southwestern Iowa. UI Health Care is a tertiary referral base for the State of Iowa and several surrounding states.
The Vascular Surgery Section was established in the Department of Surgery in 1987 and became the Vascular Surgery Division in the Department of Surgery in 2001. The Vascular Surgery Fellowship began in 1985 and the Vascular Surgery Residency began in 2013.
Research Opportunities
There are numerous opportunities to become involved in basic science, clinical research, or both, which leads to the development of many projects that are presented at regional and national meetings.
Please use the following link for information concerning research within the Department of Surgery.
Rotations
Rotation Schedule
The following tables are a sample rotation schedule for residents broken down by PGY level. Each academic year is comprised of 13 4-week rotation blocks.
First Year
Block | Specialty |
---|---|
1 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
2 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
3 | Emergency General Surgery |
4 | Transplant |
5 | VA General Surgery |
6 | Night Float |
7 | Plastic Surgery |
8 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
9 | Trauma |
10 | Transplant |
11 | Burn Surgery |
12 | Plastic Surgery |
13 | Trauma |
Second Year
Block | Specialty |
---|---|
1 | Catheterization Lab |
2 | Catheterization Lab |
3 | Surgical Intensive Care Unit |
4 | Surgical Intensive Care Unit |
5 | Night Float |
6 | Pediatric Surgery |
7 | Pediatric Surgery |
8 | Emergency General Surgery |
9 | Colorectal Surgery |
10 | Emergency General Surgery |
11 | Vascular Lab |
12 | VA Vascular Surgery |
13 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
Third Year
Block | Specialty |
---|---|
1 | Emergency General Surgery |
2 | Plastic Surgery |
3 | Transplant |
4 | Night Float |
5 | Cardiothoracic Surgery |
6 | Emergency General Surgery |
7 | UI Health Care |
8 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
9 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
10 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
11 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
12 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
13 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
Fourth Year
Block | Specialty |
---|---|
1 | VA Vascular Surgery |
2 | VA Vascular Surgery |
3 | VA Vascular Surgery |
4 | VA Vascular Surgery |
5 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
6 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
7 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
8 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
9 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
10 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
11 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
12 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
13 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
Fifth Year
Block | Specialty |
---|---|
1 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
2 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
3 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
4 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
5 | VA Vascular Surgery |
6 | VA Vascular Surgery |
7 | VA Vascular Surgery |
8 | VA Vascular Surgery |
9 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
10 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
11 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
12 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
13 | UI Health Care Vascular Surgery |
Rotation Descriptions
UI Health Care Vascular Surgery
Residents rotating on this service will receive training in procedures including:
- Open and endovascular repair of aneurysms
- Carotid endarterectomy
- Creation of arterial venous fistulas for hemodialysis
- Lower extremity vascular bypass.
The mid-level resident is in charge of the outpatient endovascular procedures performed in the cardiac cath lab which include primarily diagnostic and therapeutic angio/venograms as well as vascular access.
VA General Surgery
This is the general surgery consult service for the Iowa City Veterans Affairs hospital, located across the street from the University of Iowa. Similar to the University service, residents develop the skills to efficiently and thoroughly evaluate patients and treat for "bread and butter" issues including:
- Appendicitis
- Cholecystitis
- Bowel obstruction
- Hernia
- Perforated viscera.
Additionally, renal transplants and thoracic procedures are performed at this VA.
VA Vascular Surgery
Residents rotating on this service will receive training in procedures including:
- Open and endovascular repair of aneurysms
- Carotid endarterectomy
- Creation of arterial venous fistulas for hemodialysis
- Lower extremity vascular bypass.
Vascular Lab
Trainees on this rotation will have dedicated time in the vascular lab.
They will work alongside vascular lab technicians in an IAC certified lab in order to gain first-hand experience in duplex ultrasound scanning and other noninvasive vascular lab testing. They will read all of the vascular lab studies done during their rotation allowing them to meet their requirement to sit for their RPVI test.
Vein Clinic
Residents on this rotation will have time dedicated to the evaluation, work-up and treatment of patients with venous diseases. They will receive training in:
- Saphenous ablation
- Phlebectomies
- Perforator ablation
- Sclerotherapy
- Foam sclerotherapy.
Burn Surgery
As the only Burn Treatment Center in Iowa, this service provides exposure to a diverse set of patients of all ages and with all mechanisms of burn and soft tissue injury.
In addition to treating patients with chemical, electrical, and thermal energy burns, residents will care for individuals with severe frostbite injuries and necrotizing soft tissue infections.
Residents learn management of the acutely injured burn patient, wound care, and skin harvesting and grafting.
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Residents rotating with this service are involved with cardiac surgeries on pediatric and adult patients.
Working with thoracic surgeons, they receive training in procedures including:
- Esophagectomies
- Resections of mediastinal masses
- Thoracoscopic and open lung resections
They will also gain experience in heart and lung transplantation.
Catheterization Lab
This is one of several rotations during which residents will have the opportunity to develop their endovascular skills.
Specifically for this rotation, residents will have their time dedicated to the endovascular suite where they will participate in peripheral interventions and line placement under the direction of the vascular surgery faculty.
Emergency General Surgery
This is the general surgery consult service for the University. Residents rotating on this service develop the skills to efficiently and thoroughly evaluate and treat patients with "bread and butter" surgical issues including:
- Appendicitis
- Cholecystitis
- Bowel obstruction
- Hernia
- Perforated viscera.
GI Surgery
This service encompasses the breadth of benign and malignant diseases of the small bowel, colon, rectum and anus.
Residents rotating on this service learn lower endoscopy and are trained in open, laparoscopic, and robotic approaches to a variety of colorectal conditions.
Additionally, this service encompasses the University of Iowa Obesity Surgery, a bariatric Center of Excellence, where residents gain significant experience in:
- Gastric bypass surgery
- Laparoscopic experience performing ventral and inguinal herniorrhaphy
- Paraesophageal hernia repair and Nissen fundoplication
- Cholecystectomies via a minimally-invasive approach.
Interventional Radiology
During this rotation, residents will have the opportunity to work with interventional radiologists in the interventional radiology suites covering the breadth of interventions from basics of angiography to complex embolizations.
Night Float
This team is a combination of Trauma and Emergency General Surgery services. Residents are responsible not only for evaluation and treatment of trauma patients and general surgery consults, but they also provide cross-coverage for surgical patients admitted during the day.
Pediatric Surgery
Residents rotating on this service are exposed to elective and emergent surgeries for all ages, from premature neonates to teenagers. The team also manages pediatric trauma patients. It works closely with the Pediatric Gastroenterology team as well as the NICU and PICU.
Across all pediatric ages, residents gain varied experience operating in the neck, thorax, and abdomen through both open and laparoscopic approaches.
Common neonatal procedures performed include:
- Closure of gastroschisis and omphalocele
- Treatment of tracheoesophageal fistulas
- Repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernias
- Management of necrotizing enterocolitis.
Plastic Surgery
Residents learn a diverse set of procedures such as:
- Scar revision
- Liposuction
- Post-mastectomy breast reconstruction
- Component separation for hernia repair
- Microvascular free flaps
Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Rotating in the SICU provides an unparalleled opportunity to care for a diverse set of critically ill patients. Residents are part of a multidisciplinary team that manages patients with complex needs, and work with critical care specialists trained in surgery, anesthesia, medicine, and pharmacy.
Residents learn:
- Ventilator management
- Vascular access
- Tracheostomy and PEG placement
- Neurologic monitoring.
Transplant
This service specializes in liver, pancreas, and kidney transplantations, and hepatobiliary procedures. Residents are trained in the harvesting of organs for transplant, including laparoscopic donor nephrectomies, as well as in the transplantation of these organs.
Hepatobiliary procedures performed include those for benign and malignant conditions. Preoperative management of the transplant and hepatobiliary patient is emphasized.
Residents will work closely with members of the Transplant Hepatology and Transplant Nephrology Teams.
Trauma
UI Health Care is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the state, caring for seriously injured patients. Residents on the trauma service learn to rapidly assess and treat these patients, as well as to manage their overall cares once stabilized.
The trauma team works closely with other surgical sub-specialties to coordinate and meet patients' treatment needs. All general surgery residents will be ATLS certified.
Common procedures performed on this service include:
- FAST exam
- Chest tube placement
- Central line placement
- Tracheostomies
- Trauma laparotomies
Conferences
Conference Schedule
Monday
- Surgery Resident Education Conference
- Vascular Surgery Journal Club - First Monday of every month
Wednesday
- Surgical Skills Lab
Tuesday
- Surgical Audit Conference
- VA Vascular Surgery Case Conference
- Vein Conference - Every other week
- Surgery Grand Rounds
Thursday
- UI Health Care Vascular Surgery Case Conference
Conference Descriptions
Surgery Resident Education Conference
This conference is held on Mondays at 7 a.m. and is for the PGY1s, PGY2s, and PGY3s when on a General Surgery service. The format of this conference utilizes a flipped classroom educational approach, where residents will be assigned weekly modules from SCORE (the General Surgery Resident Curriculum Portal). At the start of the conference residents will complete a short quiz, which will be reviewed by assigned faculty who serve as content experts and who will bring interactive case scenarios to be discussed after the review of the quiz.
Vascular Surgery Journal Club
This conference is held on the first Monday of the month. Four articles are chosen by faculty. The articles are then presented by the vascular fellows and senior residents. This is followed by a discussion with the trainees and staff.
Surgical Audit Conference
This conference is held on Tuesdays at 7 a.m. The content of this conference focuses on cases selected to present and an appropriate literature review in order to improve patient care and reduce complications. Residents selected to present cases, work with faculty members in the development of presentation.
VA Vascular Surgery Case Conference
This is conference is held on Tuesdays at 8 a.m. Midlevel residents and the VA fellow present the cases for the upcoming week. Following a discussion of the relevant clinic indications, the current in-house patients are reviewed.
Vein Conference
This is a bi-weekly conference held on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. During the first half of the conference a resident presents a topic pertinent to venous disease. Following this, interesting or pertinent vein cases are presented for discussion.
Surgery Grand Rounds
This conference is held Tuesdays from September through June on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. As surgical science and practice progresses rapidly, a need exists to continuously keep abreast of advances in surgical education, practice, and research. Utilizing visiting experts and local faculty members, development in these areas are formally presented and discussed.
Surgical Skills Lab
Skills lab sessions are held on Wednesdays at 7 a.m. A skills lab curriculum is developed allowing for the residents, based upon level, to learn skills in a controlled environment allowing for verifiable proficiency to be achieved. Sessions are led by department faculty and include formal presentations followed by hands-on practice.
UI Health Care Vascular Surgery Conference
This conference is held on Thursdays at 4 p.m. The conference is led by the fellows who present complex vascular cases. This is followed by discussion that is aimed to engage medical students, junior and senior residents as well as the fellows and staff.