Steven Cahalan, M.D.

Dr. Cahalan completed his undergraduate education and medical education at the University of Iowa. He did his general surgery residency at Iowa Methodist Medical Center and has been practicing in the Des Moines area for over 20 years. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Cahalan's clinical interests include general surgery, bariatrics and laparoscopy. Dr. Cahalan has been a pioneer in laparoscopic surgery in Iowa. He was among the first surgeons in Iowa doing laparoscopic gallbladder surgery during his first year of practice. He was the first surgeon in Iowa to perform laparoscopic colectomy, splenectomy and bile duct surgery. With this background, he started a Bariatric surgery program in 2003. He has performed hundreds of bariatric operations (including laparoscopic gastric bypass, Lap Band and Gastric Sleeve) in the last 12 years. "I have really enjoyed caring for my bariatric patients over the years. I have been overwhelmed by the level of commitment our patients make to change their lives. Our mutual goal is to improve their health. I feel responsible to help them in any way I can to achieve success both before and after their surgery. Surgery is only a tool. Obviously, the surgery must be done well. However, our most significant contribution to our patient's success is helping them learn how to use that tool well. Some patients struggle at times. That is when my commitment to my patients becomes even more critical. It is easy to support successful patients, however, I believe we need to support our struggling patients with everything we can offer. I truly want every patient to have optimal success after their surgery."