Sarah B. Cairo, MD, MPH

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Get to know Pediatric Surgeon Dr. Sarah B. Cairo, who serves patients in California.

Dr. Cairo is a pediatric surgeon practicing at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, seeing patients at the surgery clinics in San Francisco and Oakland, California.

With training in minimally invasive procedures for newborns and children, Dr. Cairo is interested in improving access to care for pediatric patients with complex colorectal diseases and creating teams to meet their needs. She is part of the UCSF Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia.

Pertaining to her educational pursuits, Dr. Cairo earned her medical degree from the Tufts University School of Medicine. At Tufts, she also earned a Master of Public Health degree that focused on infection control and sexual health in the criminal justice system and on human trafficking and women’s health. She then completed a residency in general surgery at Maine Medical Center in 2020 and a fellowship in pediatric surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2022.

Passionate about her profession, she is board-certified in surgery by the American Board of Surgery (ABS). The ABS is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge.

Pediatric surgery is a subspecialty of surgery involving the surgery of fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Pediatric surgeons are doctors who specialize in treating children. They are trained to do operations on infants, children, and young adults.

Dr. Cairo’s research focuses on improving access – both domestically and internationally – to general medical care and surgery as well as improving the quality of these. She also studies transitions in care for kids who need surgery. She has received grants for her work in surgical education and global health, specifically for examining pediatric surgical capacity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has also worked with several international groups, including the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery and the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children.

On a more personal note, Dr. Cairo is an amateur baker and marathon runner.

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