Robert Rege, M.D.

Surgery - Bariatric and Foregut Surgery
Gastroesophageal Reflux & Heartburn Surgery
Diaphragm Hernia Surgery

Biography

Robert Rege, M.D., is a Professor of Surgery and former Chair of the Division of Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in advanced laparoscopic surgery, including laparoscopic hernia repair, Nissen fundoplication, esophagomyotomy, colectomy, and splenectomy.

Dr. Rege earned his medical degree at Pennsylvania State University’s Milton S. Hershey Medical School, where he also completed a residency in general surgery. During his training, he served two years as a general medical officer in the U.S. Navy. He then completed an additional year of training in gastrointestinal research at Northwestern University Medical School.

Prior to joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 1998, Dr. Rege served as Chief of Surgical Services at the VA Chicago Medical Center. During his tenure there he developed a successful laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy program at Northwestern – the first of its kind in the Midwest.

Dr. Rege is a member of the American Surgical Association, the Western Surgical Association, the Texas Surgical Society, the Society of Surgical Chairs, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Rege was the Chair of UT Southwestern’s Department of Surgery from 2001 to 2013. He returned to that position in an interim role from September 2016 to April 2018 and is currently UTSW’s Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education.

Personal Note

Dr. Rege and his wife are avid travelers, hitting the roads and airways regularly to visit their grown children or to embark on new opera odysseys to hear performances in the world’s great opera venues. The Reges were Co-Chairs of the Dallas Opera Guild and also enjoy attending the Dallas Symphony and cycling around White Rock Lake.

Meet Dr. Rege

Laparoscopic Surgeon

UT Southwestern surgeon Robert Rege, M.D., is a trailblazer in advanced laparoscopic surgery, laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy, and robotic surgery training. A highly experienced surgeon and educator, he specializes in gastrointestinal surgery.

Dr. Rege says that a key to successful surgery is being a successful decision-maker.

“Before you can be a good laparoscopic surgeon, you need to be a good surgeon. But before you can be a good technical surgeon, you have to make good decisions,” he says. “The care of patients and surgical decision-making includes how to recognize and diagnose disease, how to decide when to operate and when not to operate, and how to make the decisions that are critical for a great outcome.”

Dr. Rege adds that the multidisciplinary teams at UT Southwestern allow him to make those calls even when his patients are facing a difficult or complex illness. “We take on patients for complex surgeries that can’t be done in other hospitals,” he says.

“I think what patients get at UT Southwestern is the best care you can get, whatever your circumstances. As an academic medical center, we are a one-stop shop.”