Surgery Patient Care
Three surgeons in green scrubs and surgical masks preparing for an operation.

Dedicated to Excellence

The Department of Surgery is one of the oldest departments of its kind in the country, drawing patients from around the state and country for top-rated, specialized treatments.

About Us

Since 1849, the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Surgery has been healing patients with a blend of Midwestern compassion and nationally renowned clinical expertise.

We’re proud of our history and where we’re going. Today, we treat more than 18,000 surgical cases a year, bringing together the combined knowledge and experience of over 150 faculty physicians across more than 20 specialties.

Michigan surgeons invented transhiatal esophagectomy, the Greenfield filter for pulmonary embolism treatment, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), an advanced life-support technology. In particular, our strengths in cancer care, fetal surgery, burn treatment, and solid organ transplant set us apart for their multidisciplinary and innovative approach. The Department of Surgery serves as a referral center for every county in the state of Michigan, and families frequently travel from out of state to seek treatment here.

We’re highly ranked nationally for the quality of our clinical care, a fact that demonstrates the strengths we draw from our position within Michigan Medicine. Because of the breadth of the talent and resources of Michigan Medicine and its nearly 2,000 faculty, we’re able to offer a caliber of care found only in a high-volume academic medical center.

Beyond the OR, Department of Surgery faculty draw on deep strengths in medical research to synthesize the most effective and tested approaches. Collaborations nationally and globally inform and enrich our understanding of novel treatments, while extending the reach of this life-saving knowledge.

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Patient & Visitor Guide

View the Patient & Visitor Guide for more information on our facilities and services.

Surgical Care at U-M Health
Top-rated Surgical Care

U-M Health offers comprehensive and innovative surgical teams throughout its clinics and facilities, providing patients with the critical care they need.

Learn about surgeries performed
Featured News & Stories See all news organs on blue background with stethoscope
Health Lab
Improving organ transplant donations through a national strategy
Many organs that are ready for donation are discarded for various reasons. The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network is finding ways to combat this to increase the number of transplants done per year.
medical files medical health insurance paper someone picking it up
Health Lab
Medicare prior authorization affecting plastic and reconstructive surgery didn’t have hoped-for effect
A policy to save Medicare money and speed up the move from hospital-based to outpatient-based operations is not having the desired impact and could be creating an increase in administrative workload, causing potential delays in care.
female surgeon in blue cap scrubs and mask tying mask and looking up
Health Lab
Female representation sees improvement in high paying medical specialties
The number of female residents getting into high paying surgical specialties has noticeably increased, research finds.
on left doctor holding picture in middle with woman on other side in exam room on right side a close up of the portrait of the doctor
Health Lab
Using creative surgical solutions for creative patients
After a fall broke her painting hand, Susie McColgan's Michigan Medicine surgeon created an individualized surgical solution that would get her back to her life's work of 25 years.
holding syringe white shirt close up in hands
Health Lab
Could GLP1RA drugs lower high iron levels?
GLP1RA drugs are used to treat obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. Research from University of Michigan Health finds that these drugs can also be effective in treating high iron levels, a cause and symptom of type 2 diabetes.
little girl smiling on left and on right wearing pink glasses
Health Lab
3-year-old back to cheerful self following complex surgery for rare aggressive chest tumor
A young girl gets back to her childhood after a 3D printed replica of her tumor helps her Michigan Medicine surgical team perform a successful operation.