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Kristen Sihler, MD, MS, FACS

Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery - Acute Care Surgery

Current Positions

  • Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery - Acute Care Surgery

Education

  • BA in Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
  • MD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  • MS in Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow, Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center
  • Iowa Clinical Research Scholar, Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation, Iowa City, Iowa - National Institutes of Health K30 Clinical Research Curriculum Award
  • Resident, General Surgery, The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
  • Fellow, Trauma and Critical Care, Harborview Medical Center

Licenses & Certifications

  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Advanced Trauma Operative Management Instructor (ATOM)
  • Board Certified, Critical Care Surgery, American Board of Surgery
  • Board Certified, General Surgery, American Board of Surgery
  • Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS)
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
  • Advanced Wilderness Life Support

Selected Publications

  • Slagel I, Galet C, Torner J, Sihler, K. Secondary undertriage in rural trauma system: A retrospecive study of twice-transferred patients. Journal of Surgical Research; 2025;309:103-110 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2025.03.003
  • Rowell SE, Barbosa RR, Allison CE, Van PY, Schreiber MA, Holcomb JB, Wade, CE, Brasel KJ, Vercruysse G, MacLeod J, Dutton RP, Hess JR, Duchesne JC, McSwain NE, Muskat P, Johannigamn J, Cryer HM, Tillou A, Cohen MJ, Pittet JF, Knudson P, De Moya MA, Schreiber MA, Tieu B, Brundage S, Napolitano LM, Brunsvold M, Sihler, K, Beilman G, Peitzman AB, Zenait MS, Sperry J, Alarcon L, Croce MA, Minei JP, Kozar R, Gonzalez EA, Stewart RM, Cohn SM, Mickalek JE, Bulger EM, Cotton BA, Nunez TC, Ivatury R, Meredith JW, Pomper P, Pomper GJ & Marin B (2011). Gender-based differences in mortality in response to high product ratio massive transfusion. The Journal of Trauma 71 (2 Suppl 3) S375-9. DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e318227f1aa. PMID: 21814107.
  • Spoerke N, Michalek J, Schreiber M; Trauma Outcomes Group, Brasel KJ, Vercruysse G, MacLeod J, Dutton RP, Duchesne JC, McSwain NE, Muskat P, Johannigamn J, Cryer HM, Tillou A, Cohen MJ, Pittet JF, Knudson P, De Moya MA, Tieu B, Brundage S, Napolitano LM, Brunsvold M, Sihler K, Peitzman AB, Zenait MS, Sperry J, Alarcon L, Croce MA, Minei JP, Stewart RM, Cohn SM, Mickalek JE, Bulger EM, Cotton BA, Nunez TC, Ivatury R, Meredith JW, Miller P, Pomper GJ, Marin B. Crystalloid resuscitation improves survival  in trauma patients receiving low ratios of fresh frozen plasma to packed red blood cells. Journal of Trauma 2011;71(2 Suppl 3):S380-3.
  • Rowell SE, Barbosa RR, Diggs BS, Schreiber MA, Holcomb JB, Wade CE, Brasel KJ, Vercruysse G, MacLeod J, Dutton RP, Hess JR., Duchesne JC, McSwain NE, Muskat P, Johannigamn J, Cryer HM, Tillou A, Cohen, MJ, Pittet JF, Knudson P, De Moya MA, Schreiber MA, Tieu B, Brundage S, Napolitano LM, Brunsvold M, Sihler, K, Beilman G, Peitzman AB, Zenait MS, Sperry J, Alarcon L, Croce M , Minei J , Kozar R, Gonzalez EA, Stewart RM, Cohn SM, Mickalek JE, Bulger EM, Cotton BA, Nunez TC, Ivatury R, Meredith JW, Miller P, Pomper J & Marin B (2011). Specific abbreviated injury scale values are responsible for the underestimation of mortality in penetrating trauma patients by the injury severity score. The Journal of Trauma 71 (2 Suppl 3) S384-8. DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3182287c8d. PMID: 21814109.
  • Wade CE, del Junco DJ, Holcomb JB; Trauma Outcomes Group, Holcomb JB, Wade CE, Brasel KJ, Vercruysse G, MacLeod J, Dutton RP, Hess JR, Duchesne JC, McSwain NE, Muskat P, Johannigman J, Cryer HM, Tillou A, Cohen MJ, Pittet JF, Knudson P, De Moya MA, Schreiber MA, Tieu B, Brundage S, Napolitano LM, Brunsvold M, Sihler K, Beilman G, Peitzman AB, Zenait MS, Sperry J, Alarcon L, Croce MA, Minei JP, Kozar R, Gonzalez EA, Stewart RM, Cohn SM, Mickalek JE, Bulger EM, Cotton BA, Nunez TC, Ivatury R, Meredith JW, Miller P, Pomper GJ, Marin B. Variations between level I trauma centers in 24- hour mortality in severely injured patients requiring a massive transfusion. Journal of Trauma 2011;71(2 Suppl 3):S389-93.
  • Cherry-Bukowiec JR, Miller BS, Doherty GM, Brunsvold ME, Hemmila MR, Park PK, Raghavendran K, Sihler, K, Wahl WL, Wang SC & Napolitano LM (2011). Nontrauma emergency surgery: optimal case mix for general surgery and acute care surgery training. The Journal of Trauma 71 (5) 1422-6; discussion 1426-7. DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e318232ced1. PMID: 22071935.
  • Clark DE, Qian J, Sihler K, Hallagan LD & Betensky RA (2012). The distribution of survival times after injury. World Journal of Surgery 36 (7) 1562-70. DOI: 10.1007/s00268-012-1549-5. PMID: 22402976. PMCID: PMC3779685.
  • Sihler K, Mazza M, Napolitano LM, Feliciano DV. Sharp lower abdominal pain and  calcified abdominal mass. Journal of Trauma 2015;78(6):1231-3.
  • Misercola B, Sihler K, Douglas M, Ranney S, Dreifus J. Transfer of acute care surgery patients in a rural state: a concerning trend. Journal of Surgical Research 2016;206(1):168-74.
  • Gagnon DJ, Fontain GV, Smith KE, Riker RR, Miller RR, Lerwick PA, Lucas FL, Dziodzio JT, Sihler K, Fraser GL.Valproate for agitation in critically ill patients: a retrospective study. Journal of Critical Care 2017;37:119-25.