Biography

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

Dr. Polanco is a gastrointestinal surgical oncologist with vast expertise in minimally invasive/robotic pancreas and liver surgery. He serves as the Director of the Robotic Surgery Training Program at UT Southwestern as well as Co-director for the Pancreatic Cancer Program and the Pancreatic Cancer Prevention Clinic.

He also leads the Peritoneal Surface Malignancies and HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy) Program at UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center.

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 the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

A double board-certified surgeon by the American Board of Surgery (general surgery and complex general surgical oncology), Dr. Polanco joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2014.

His clinical interests and expertise include pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, minimally invasive techniques, robotic surgery, HIPEC surgery, and hepatic artery infusion pump surgery, among other complex gastrointestinal diseases and procedures.

Dr. Polanco's research interests include health services research, disparities, and surgical outcomes in hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) malignancies and pancreatic cancer. He is also the site principal investigator for several clinical trials for pancreatic cancer.

He is a recognized educator and investigator in the field of robotic surgery training and simulation. His research has been presented at national and international meetings, and he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in several surgical and cancer journals. He has received several research awards and grants, including the Eugene P. Frenkel, M.D., Scholar Award in Clinical Medicine from the Simmons Cancer Center.

He has served on several committees and held leadership positions in academic associations, including the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the American College of Surgeons, among others. He also serves on the pancreatic cancer and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma expert panel for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.

Dr. Polanco's commitment to the advancement of medical knowledge extends globally, as he has trained and guided several international surgeons in establishing robotic surgery HPB programs. Furthermore, his extensive experience in medical mission trips to Central and South America highlights his dedication to providing health care access to underserved populations.

Dr. Polanco was included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list for 2019 to 2023