Division of Elective General Surgery

The Division of Elective General Surgery within the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care provides comprehensive surgical management of hernias, gallbladder disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal disorders, esophageal cancer, endocrine disorders (thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal disorders), soft tissue masses and the breadth of general surgery.

The division includes surgeons who operate under the umbrella of Digestive Health, a partnership between UT Health Austin and Ascension Seton. This integrated clinical practice unit includes specialists in Gastroenterology, Foregut and Colorectal surgery. The Heartburn and Esophageal Disorders Center and IBD Center are nested within this clinic as well.

A group of surgeons gather around an operating table for a discussion.

A close up two pairs of hands using surgical tools on a small educational model relating to surgery.

Two surgeons in scrubs performing a procedure in the operating room.

The surgeons in the division use the latest technology and techniques available to ensure the highest quality of care and optimal outcomes for patients. The majority of operations on this service are performed either robotically or with advanced laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques.

Educational Programs

Clinical Programs

Research

Events

Educational Programs

Division faculty contribute to the department’s educational mission through the following program offerings.

Undergraduate Medical Education

Second-year Dell Medical School students complete an eight-week surgery clerkship to learn about the surgical patient through a combination of hands-on patient care, interactive instruction and simulation-based training workshops. Students rotate for four weeks with the Division of Acute Care Surgery team at Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas. The second portion of the clerkship allows students to choose a team to rotate with based on their interests, with a rotation in general surgery being one of the options. Kimberly Brown, M.D., FACS, serves as the clerkship director alongside associate clerkship director Jayson Aydelotte, M.D., FACS.

The division hosts an acting internship in general surgery opportunity for fourth-year medical students preparing to enter residency. The four-week rotations include increased responsibility with the care team, providing the student with excellent exposure to a variety of robotic, advanced laparoscopic and open procedures.

The division accepts applications from fourth-year medical students from Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited institutions for the acting internship in general surgery. See information for visiting students, which includes a list of all available acting internships.

Graduate Medical Education

The division is proud to partner with faculty throughout the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care in offering a five-year General Surgery Residency. The residency offers three categorical and three preliminary positions per year and has a special focus on value-based care and patient-centered health care delivery. Residents also complete a Foundations in Care Transformation training, which emphasizes value-based care, quality improvement, health equity, leadership and other key competencies in health systems science. The foundational training is part of Dell Med’s signature graduate medical education curriculum, Advancing Care Transformation.

Clinical Programs

Division faculty are part of the care team at the Heartburn and Esophageal Disorders Center of UT Health Austin. The Center focuses on the treatment of conditions of the foregut, taking a multidisciplinary approach to treating GERD, achalasia, Barrett’s esophagus, complex hiatal hernias and other esophageal disorders.

Research

Research areas of interest include new approaches in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux; hiatal hernia repair; outcomes of anti-reflux surgery, including psychosocial factors affecting outcomes; and diagnostic technologies for Barrett’s esophagus. Division faculty collaborate on industry- and investigator-initiated multicenter clinical trials and participate in national databases such as the National Registry of Outcomes of Anti-Reflux Surgery.

Events

The division offers monthly surgery grand rounds on the second Thursday of the month as well as a surgical endocrine conference on the third Friday of the month. The division partners with the department to host faculty development events and continuing medical education offerings.