Positions

Associate Professor and Chief, Section of Colorectal Surgery

Division of Surgical Oncology
Baylor College of Medicine

Assistant Vice Chair for Clinical Quality Improvement

Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery

Member

Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine

Addresses

Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (Clinic)

O’Quinn Medical Tower at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center’s McNair Campus
1919 Old Spanish Trail
Houston, TX 77054
United States
Phone: (832) 957-6500
Interactive Map

Education

Fellowship at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital

St. Louis

Colon and Rectal Surgery

Residency at University of Missouri

Columbia

General Surgery

MD from King Edward Medical College

Lahore

Certifications

American Board of Surgery

American Board of Colorectal Surgery

Honors & Awards

2020 Top Doctor: Colon and Rectal Surgery

Houstonia Magazine

Professional Interests

• Colorectal Cancer
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision (taTME)
• Ulcerative colitis
• Crohn’s disease
• Pelvic floor disorders
• Anorectal pathology

Professional Statement

Dr. Atif Iqbal is the chief of Colorectal Surgery, the assistant vice chair for Quality at the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and the surgical quality officer for Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston, TX. Dr. Iqbal completed a surgical research fellowship at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, followed by a general surgery residency at the University of Missouri and a colon and rectal surgery fellowship at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He practiced at the University of Florida (UF) from 2011 till 2018, where he was promoted to associate professor. He held various leadership positions at UF including being the medical director for the UF outpatient surgical clinics, program director for the UF PA residency program, and the cancer liaison physician for the UF Health cancer network.
Dr. Iqbal subsequently moved to Baylor College of Medicine to lead the Colorectal Surgery team. He specializes in surgical procedures for benign and malignant pathology of the colon, rectum and anus. He has a special interest in advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgical procedures for colon and rectal cancer, including sphincter saving procedures for low rectal cancer. 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.

Dr. Iqbal has a special interest in oncologic trials and outcomes research. His research interests focus on 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. He is recognized nationally as a colorectal cancer expert and has been serving as the nominated Surgical Expert on both the Rectal-Anal (2016-present) and Colon (2017-present) taskforces of NRG Oncology. Dr. Iqbal has actively participated led several national clinical trials, including serving as the surgical lead for an NCI-approved GI-005 (COBRA) trial.

Dr. Iqbal is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He is actively involved with the American College of Surgeons, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and NRG Oncology. He has served as the Vice-chair for the 2024 annual meeting for the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS). He has over 130 research publications, presentations and posters. He has earned honors for his research presentations to the ACS, SAGES and the Commission on Cancer. He has earned numerous ‘patient nominations’ and awards for the quality of care provided.

Websites

Videos

Selected Publications

• Kolarich A, George T, Hughes SJ, Delitto D, Allegra C, Hall W, Tan S, Shaw C, Iqbal A "Rectal cancer patients under 50 years of age lack a survival benefit from NCCN guideline-directed treatment for stage II and III disease." Cancer.;
• Delitto D, George TJ Jr, Loftus TJ, Qiu P, Chang GJ, Allegra CJ, Hall WA, Hughes SJ, Tan SA, Shaw CM, Iqbal A "Prognostic Value of Clinical vs Pathologic Stage in Rectal Cancer Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Therapy." J Natl Cancer Inst.;
• Delitto D, Loftus TJ, Iqbal A "Pathologic stage dictates survival after neoadjuvant radiation for rectal cancer." Oncotarget.;
• Iqbal A, Khan A, George TJ, Tan S, Qiu P, Yang K, Trevino J, Hughes S "Objective Preoperative Parameters Predict Difficult Pelvic Dissections and Clinical Outcomes." J Surg Res.;

Memberships

American College of Surgeons

Fellow

American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons

Fellow

Alpha Omega Alpha

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan

Fellow