Overview of Training for Individual Specialties
GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY
The gastrointestinal service has a full complement of medical students and residents on a year-round basis and also participates in the Junior Surgery Clerkship teaching sessions. Clinical conferences play an important role in the Section's teaching programs and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas with members of other disciplines. Projects contemplated for implementation within the next year include a multidisciplinary esophageal group which will institute novel clinical protocols to advance the care of patients with benign and malignant esophageal diseases.
Current clinical protocols include studies of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic esophageal surgery; thoracoscopic splanchnic nerve resection for chronic pain of pancreatitis; laparoscopic procedures for morbid obesity; laparoscopic colectomy; and neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer. The faculty members in Gastrointestinal Surgery also carry out an extensive program of basic research in gastrointestinal physiology. Teaching takes place on a continuous basis in the ward, operating room and clinic.
The Section of Gastrointestinal Surgery functions as an integral member of the Center for Digestive Diseases. This center is a unique multidisciplinary association of the specialties of Gastrointestinal Surgery, adult and pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Surgery, Radiology and Pathology. The goal of this center is to improve both the quality and efficiency of care to patients with digestive diseases. This multidisciplinary center is composed of a diagnostic and therapeutic unit and a procedure unit, outpatient clinic, office facility and inpatient unit. This unit helps to facilitate efficient consultation between Internal Medicine and General Surgery and improves the ability to perform clinical research. The Section includes specialists with expertise in the areas of esophagogastric, pancreaticobiliary, colorectal and bariatric surgery who work together with their Medicine colleagues to advance the art and science of surgery.
You may also view the KCRG October 2005 Medical Minute for more information.
Gastrointestinal Surgery Staff
- Joseph J. Cullen, MD, – Director, joseph-cullen@uiowa.edu
- Kimberly S. Ephgrave, MD, kimberly-ephgrave@uiowa.edu
- Mohammad K. Jamal, MD, mohammad-jamal@uiowa.edu
- Isaac Samuel, MD, isaac-samuel@uiowa.edu
- Siroos S. Shirazi, MD, siroos-shirazi@uiowa.edu