UW Department of Surgery

I'm delighted to welcome you to the Department of Surgery Web site. I invite you to peruse the many facets of our Department described in this site - including details about our faculty, the nature and scope of our facilities and surgical procedures, and exciting developments in collaboration with industry, other entities at the University of Washington, and other healthcare institutions.

The Department of Surgery has 95 full-time clinical and research faculty members, 82 residents, 33 fellows and visiting scientists, 202 staff members, and 113 affiliated clinical faculty members. Our current research funding from both government and private sources is $12 million.

Our statistics tell one story, but perhaps the heart of our department is found in the dynamics of change, balanced by the ongoing commitment to provide quality healthcare using currently appropriate techniques. This is truly a balancing act; "new" is constantly in the air, and anything new both titillates and challenges us. As surgeons, we proceed with all deliberate haste to find new - that is, better - ways to provide the most cost-effective outcomes for our patients. It is exciting to hear and read about the "new" work that is being done in our field; at the same time, we are responsible for keeping the pace matched to the proven efficacy of these new advances. We strive to stay in the forefront in our research, and the statistics support the fact that we are successful. At the same time, we strive to provide the kind of training that will carry out the clinical implications of our research in a responsible manner.

Our department spreads over four University-affiliated medical centers: Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Veteran's Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, and the University of Washington Medical Center, and additionally includes programs and faculty physicians at Northwest Hospital and UW Eastside Specialty Center.

Our collaborations with other departments in the University are increasing. For example, in conjunction with the HIT (Human Interface Technology) Lab, the School of Engineering and our Surgical Simulation Working Group, we are developing ISIS (Institute for Surgical and Interventional Simulation), a state of the art educational and research center based on simulation technology. This new institute is based in the Surgery Pavilion at UWMC.

SORCE (Surgical Outcomes Research Center) is a new center devoted to translational research on outcomes (application of outcomes knowledge into changes of practice).

Finally, we have developed working partnerships with industry to provide improved training opportunities and facilities, while supporting and leading our industry partners in the development of new instrumentation. One such facility is the Center for Videoendoscopic Surgery, in partnership with US Surgical.

I would be happy to hear any comments you might have concerning our department, and I thank you for visiting our Web site!

Carlos A. Pellegrini, M.D.
The Henry N. Harkins Professor and Chairman