Atif Iqbal, MD, FACRS, FACS

Dr. Atif Iqbal specializes in surgical procedures for benign and malignant pathology of the colon, rectum and anus. Dr. Iqbal is an Associate Professor and Chief, Section of Colorectal Surgery - Surgical Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he is a member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Iqbal’s clinical interests include: robotic surgery and advanced laparoscopy, including sphincter saving procedures for low rectal cancer; and pelvic surgery and surgical treatment of rectal cancer, including transanal endoscopic microsurgery. He is a member of the Baylor Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center and offers laparoscopic pouch procedures for ulcerative colitis and minimally invasive surgery for Crohn’s disease. 

His research interests include: health services and outcome-based translational research in colorectal pathology with a focus on rectal cancer outcomes and institution of enhanced recovery programs after surgery. 

Dr. Iqbal earned his medical degree from King Edward Medical University and completed an internship in surgery at Mayo Hospital, in Lahore, Pakistan. He completed a surgical research fellowship at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska and his residency in general surgery at the University of Missouri, followed by a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He joined the faculty of the University of Florida where he was an associate professor. 

Dr. Iqbal is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He is currently serving as an elected surgical expert on the NCI Rectal-Anal Task Force and the Colon task force of the GI steering committee. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and NRG Oncology. Dr. Iqbal has earned honors for his research presentations to the ACS, SAGES and the Commission on Cancer, as well as a medal of achievement in physiology by the Pakistan Physiological Research Organization. He has also earned numerous ‘patient nominations’ and awards for the quality of care provided. Dr. Iqbal has also been named a Top Doctor in Colon and Rectal Surgery by Houstonia Magazine (2020).