The Department of General Surgery, headed by Dr. Himesh R. Chauhan, offers 36 postgraduate seats annually — making it one of the largest training programmes for general surgery in the country. Organised into ten dedicated units, the department upholds a legacy of excellence in surgical care, education and research at Gujarat’s oldest and largest medical college.

As the premier tertiary-care referral centre for the state, the department serves a diverse patient population from Gujarat and neighbouring states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The daily outpatient department sees approximately 250 patients, and the unit performs more than 5,000 surgeries each academic year — figures that reflect both the volume of work and the trust placed in the department by patients and referring physicians.

The department is a leading centre for advanced laparoscopic and minimal-access surgery, performing a wide range of complex gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and oncological procedures alongside the full spectrum of basic and advanced general-surgical work. Modern laparoscopic instruments and high-definition imaging systems support both clinical excellence and structured surgical training, with an emphasis on safety, evidence-based practice and outcome measurement.

Academically, the department contributes actively to the broader surgical community by organising conferences and Continuing Medical Education programmes to support ongoing professional development for faculty, residents and visiting surgeons. Undergraduate and postgraduate students benefit from exposure to a wide spectrum of clinical conditions — from common presentations to rare and complex surgical pathology — enriching their learning and preparing them to meet the challenges of contemporary surgical practice.

Through its combination of high clinical volume, ten-unit organisational depth and an unwavering commitment to teaching and research, the Department of General Surgery continues to advance surgical care for the people of Gujarat and beyond.