Erich M Wessel, DO

Dr. Erich Wessel is a double board-certified surgeon who specializes in trauma, surgical critical care, emergency general surgery and general surgery, collectively known as the specialty of acute care surgery (ACS).

Dr. Wessel is a member of the acute care surgery team at The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City. The surgeons of the ACS team work with students, residents, fellows, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to provide comprehensive trauma and surgical care to patients who may arrive to the hospital through the Emergency Department or are met by our comprehensive surgical care team for elective general surgery.

As an acute care surgeon, Dr. Wessel cares for a vast array of surgical diseases, including gallbladder problems, appendicitis, bowel obstruction, abdominal and groin hernias, soft tissue injury or infection, as well as injury to the liver, spleen, intestines, ribs and lungs. Patients who require admission to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) remain under the care of acute care surgeons who are also board-certified in surgical critical care. In the SICU, acute care surgeons manage the ventilator (breathing machine) as well as medications to support blood pressure, antibiotics, pain and sedation. Acute care surgeons perform bedside procedures such as central line placement (large IVs), bronchoscopy (to clear the lungs), tracheostomy (surgically placed breathing tube) and gastric tubes (feeding tubes).

Acute care surgeons help coordinate the care of injured patients and may consult colleagues from other departments such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, vascular surgery or interventional radiology, depending on the type and severity of illness or injury. Acute care surgeons provide care for patients from hospital admission through hospital discharge and routinely see patients after a hospitalization.

Dr. Wessel is an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he enjoys teaching residents, students and fellows who learn and work with him in the hospital setting. He has a special interest in critical care ultrasound and elective general surgery.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, and graduated from medical school from Kansas City University Medicine & Biosciences in Kansas City, Missouri. He completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center and completed his training in trauma and critical care at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 daughters, watching the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, swimming, cooking and grilling.