Erwin Thal, MD

Professor
Surgery

Contact Information

UT Southwestern Medical Center
5323 Harry Hines Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75390

erwin.thal@utsouthwestern.edu

To make an appointment, call 214-645-8300.

Biography

Erwin R. Thal, M.D. Professor, Department of Surgery UT Southwestern Medical Center of Dallas Dr. Thal received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1962, followed by a rotating internship at Parkland Memorial Hospital in 1962-63. He completed his general surgery residency at Parkland in 1969. Dr. Thal joined the faculty at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School as an instructor in the department of surgery in July 1969 and was promoted to professor in September 1982. He was in charge of the surgical emergency room from July 1970 through June 1994. He was appointed medical director of the Day Surgery Unit at Parkland in January 1995. He was the chairman of the surgical postgraduate course for the department from 1981-2001 and was coordinator of surgical continuing medical education from 1993-2002. He is a former chairman of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and past vice president of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Western Surgical Association. He now serves as a governor-at-large for the North Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Thal continues to serve as the Director of the Willed Body Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Education

ResidencyParkland Memorial Hospital - GME (1969)
InternshipParkland Memorial Hospital - GME (1964)
Medical SchoolThe Ohio State University (1962)

Research Interests

Diagnostic and Management Protocols Regarding Injured Patients

Publications

Featured
Operative Trauma Management: An Atlas

Thal ER, Weigelt JA, Carrico CJ , McGraw-Hill , 2001;

Featured
Evaluation of ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute and chronic biliary tract disease

Thal ER, Weigelt JA, Landay M, Conrad M , Arch. Surg. , 1978; (113):500

Featured
Evaluation of peritoneal lavage and local exploration in lower chest and abdominal stab wounds

Thal ER , Journal of Trauma , 1977; (17):642

Opinions of practicing general surgeons on surgical education

Weigelt JA, Brasel K, Olson C, Thal ER , Am J Surg , 1998; (176):481-485

Complex problems in penetrating neck trauma

Demetriades D, Asensio JA, Velmahos G, Thal ER , Surgical Clinics of North America , 1996; (76(4)):661-683

The role of laparoscopy in the evaluation of abdominal trauma

Thal ER, Rossi PJ , Seminars in Laparoscopic Surgery , 1996; (3(3)):178-184

Honors/Awards

Outstanding Service Award, American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma

(2002)

2000 Minnie Stevens Piper Professor

(2000)

Laycock-Snyder Faculty Teaching Award, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

(1996)

Distinguished Service Award, American Trauma Society

(1992)

Scudder Orator, American College of Surgeons

(1992)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

American Association for the Surgery of Trauma

American College of Surgeons, Fellow

American Surgical Association

International Society of Surgery

Western Surgical Association