Institutes & Centers

The Department of Surgery has several distinct centers and institutions each specializing in a particular area of surgery. Below are links to these sites as well as a brief description of each center.

Masonic Cancer Center: Advancing knowledge and enhancing patient care is the mission of the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. The Masonic Cancer Center fosters this mission by creating a collaborative research environment focused on the causes, prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer; applying that knowledge to improve quality of life for patients and survivors; and sharing its discoveries with other scientists, students, professionals, and the community.

Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation: In 1994, the University of Minnesota Medical School capitalized upon its historic strengths in pancreas transplantation by establishing the Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation (DIIT) to pursue a cure for diabetes. The University of Minnesota is world-renowned as a pioneer of organ transplantation, from deceased human donors and living-donors alike. This reputation lies at the heart of successful pancreas transplantation, an advanced treatment for diabetes which was pioneered here in 1966. This surgery spawned successful islet (insulin-producing) cell transplantation, offering a variety of options in beta cell replacement therapy to cure diabetes via immunology and transplantation.

Experimental Surgical Services (ESS): ESS offers expertise in designing and conducting the appropriate research to determine the safety and efficacy of surgical devices. They have 25 years experience in pre-clinical assessment for the medical industry and are the industry leader in researching and testing cardiac devices and surgical techniques.

International Pancreas Transplant Registry: The IPTR maintains a database of all reported pancreas transplants worldwide. In cooperation with over 200 centers, the pre transplant and post transplant courses of nearly 24,000 patients who have received pancreas transplants are followed.

Lillehei Heart Institute:  The Lillehei Heart Institute is an inter-disciplinary research institute made possible by a generous gift from Kaye Lillehei, wife of C. Walton Lillehei, the "Father of Open Heart Surgery."

Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery: The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery is one of the few places in the country that combines clinical practice, research, education and specialized training in one location. They are dedicated to providing exceptional patient care with the expertise of highly-skilled physicians utilizing leading-edge technology all in a facility that offers advanced training and resources for the next generation of surgeons.

The Minnesota Pancreas and Liver Center (MPLC): Diagnosing and treating diseases of the pancreas, liver and gallbladder requires the skill of a number of physician specialists. MPLC brings together a unique team of experts who are known worldwide for their expertise and patient care.

Obesity Surgery Center of the University of Minnesota Medical Center: The Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota has been an internationally recognized leader in the development of bariatric surgical procedures and the development of surgical procedures used to treat comorbid conditions related to obesity such as hyperlipidemia or dyslipidemia.

Transplant Information Services: TIS is a partnership of the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota Physicians and Fairview Health Services that supports the collection, coordination, and dissemination of pre-transplant and post-transplant information across transplant services.

The Transplant Center: The Transplant Center at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, provides unsurpassed care for anyone whose life is touched by a solid organ transplant. The center is  dedicated to educating patients about preventive health care and transplant issues.