Patricio Polanco, M.D.

Patricio Polanco, M.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

He focuses on gastrointestinal cancers and has advanced training in minimally invasive techniques, robotic surgery, cytoreductive surgery, and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

A native of Peru, Dr. Polanco graduated as valedictorian of Universidad de San Martin de Porres Medical School. After completing his surgical training in Lima, Peru, he moved to the United States, where he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship and a general surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh. During his training, Dr. Polanco received several prestigious accolades, including the Alpha Omega Alpha-Honor Medical Society, the Charles C. Moore Teaching Award at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award. He later pursued a Complex Surgical Oncology Fellowship at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. 

A board-certified surgeon by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Polanco joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2014. 

His research involves the analysis of institutional and national cancer databases to answer relevant clinical questions that may help improve cancer therapies and optimize the care of cancer patients. His research has been presented in national and international meetings and published in several surgical journals.

He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Association of Hepato-Pancreatobiliary Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and the Texas Medical Society.

Dr. Polanco was included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list for 2019.