Surgery Sections

Three surgeons in an operating room observe and assist in a procedure, with medical monitors visible in the background.

Our Sections

As one of the largest and oldest departments of our kind in the country, we’ve grown our clinics into a national destination for care — from adrenal cancer to melanoma to rare pediatric tumors.

Leaders in Surgical Care

Our department is top-ranked nationally for federal research funding. This support fuels innovations in surgical techniques and devices that enhance patient care and quality of life, contributing lasting knowledge to the practice of medicine.

We put this experience to work across our department, with a special strength in:

  • Multidisciplinary programs that assemble the optimal mix of experts to treat cases affecting complex bodily systems, such as endocrine disorders, peripheral artery disease, and pediatric solid tumors. A multidisciplinary approach means a patient benefits from the expertise of many physicians — not just one second opinion.
  • Surgical care for cancer that situates surgical excellence within high-performing teams of oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, basic scientists, all working to diagnose, stage, treat, and monitor cancer cases humanely and effectively.
  • Minimally invasive surgical techniques that use fewer and smaller incisions to lessen pain, improve long-term outcomes, and shorten patient recovery time. U-M is a leader in laparoscopic, endoluminal, robotic, and incisionless surgical techniques, a pioneer of the transhiatal esophagectomy, and a continuing innovator in less-invasive surgical treatments.

Our Sections

General Surgery

Physicians in General Surgery specialize in acute care, colorectal, endocrine, minimally invasive, surgical oncology, and veterans surgical services.

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery/Hospital Dentistry

Surgeons in this specialty treat defects and injuries of the head, face, neck, teeth, and jaws in both adults and children, at the U-M Medical School and U-M School of Dentistry.

Pediatric Surgery

Pediatric surgeons at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, leaders in surgical oncology and fetal treatment for congenital defects, perform thousands of procedures annually, earning top national rankings.

Plastic Surgery

Surgeons in this section lead one of the largest U.S. plastic surgery programs, offering comprehensive services and earning national recognition for cleft lip, palate, and craniofacial surgery expertise.

Thoracic Surgery

Thoracic surgeons treat diseases of the trachea, lung, mediastinum, diaphragm, and esophagus, with U-M surgeons pioneering the transhiatal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

Transplant Surgery

Since performing the state's first transplant in 1964, the U-M Medical School has developed one of the nation's largest and most experienced transplant centers, serving both children and adults.

Vascular Surgery

Surgeons in this section are internationally recognized for expertise in carotid artery disease, renal artery disease, varicose veins, and abdominal aortic aneurysms, supported by multidisciplinary clinics.

faculty demonstrating students about a dummy lying in hospital bed

See Where Training Takes Place

Discover the spaces where you'll train, learn and practice at the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Surgery. As one of the largest training programs in the country, we provide unparalleled opportunities for our learners. Explore the clinical, work and common areas where you’ll train and grow as a physician.

Discover your training ground

Featured News & Stories

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2026 Faculty and Staff Awards
Medical School News

Nine from Medical School honored as part of annual Faculty and Staff Awards

Michigan Medicine recently announced its 2026 Faculty and Staff Awards. This year’s recipients include nine winners with Medical School appointments, including seven faculty and two staff members. This year’s Faculty and Staff Awards ceremony will be Dec. 3 at the Jack Roth Stadium Club in Michigan Stadium
A pill bottle is open and pills are placed onto a hand
Health Lab

Could a diabetes medication be the next wonder drug?

Researchers identified how sotagliflozin may reduce heart attack and stroke risk, potentially offering benefits beyond diabetes care
Dr. Seth Waits wearing a dark blazer and gray sweater with a collar.
Department News

Seth Waits, M.D., named new section head for the Section of Transplant Surgery

Learn more about Seth Waits, MD, the new head of the Section of Transplant Surgery.
Two U-M faculty headshots with the titling, National Academy of Medicine, presented above their names: Diane Harper and Jacqueline Jeruss.
News Release

Two U-M Researchers Earn Election to National Academy of Medicine

Two U-M Researchers Earn Election to National Academy of Medicine
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss leaning against a glass rail wearing a white sweater.
Department News

Jacqueline Jeruss elected to the National Academy of Medicine

Surgical oncologist Jacqueline Jeruss, M.D., Ph.D., was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Learn more about what this achievement means to her.
man smiling with glasses in booth
Health Lab

Exceptional response to immunotherapy gives patient with liver cancer more milestones to celebrate

U-M Health Rogel Cancer Center used single-dose immunotherapy and transplant oncology to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in a 69-year-old patient.