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Sean J. Mulvihill, MD

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  • Academic Information
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No Rating Available?
In order to provide our patients and visitors with the most accurate and useful information, we only post physician satisfaction data when a physician has received a minimum of 30 returned surveys. For this provider, we have not yet received the minimum.
72 4.6 out of 5 Patient Rating

Languages Spoken: English

Sean Mulvihill, MD has specialized expertise in the treatment of diseases of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas. He is board certified in general surgery. His main clinical focus is in the management of patients with pancreatic tumors, such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors. He has integrated a research program funded by the National Cancer Institute into his clinical practice, with the aim of determining the underlying cause of these cancers and identifying new treatment approaches. This knowledge is leading to improved diagnostic strategies, improved selection of treatment options, and improved outcomes.

Clinical Locations

Huntsman Cancer Institute
Patient Care Center

801-581-7167

2000 Circle of Hope
Salt Lake City, UT  84112
Map

Specialties

  • Liver, Biliary, & Pancreas Surgery
  • Biliary Cancer
  • Liver Cancer
  • Surgery, General
  • Laparoscopy
  • Pancreatic Cancer

Board Certification and Academic Information

Academic Departments Surgery - Professor
Academic Divisions General Surgery
Cancer Center Programs Experimental Therapeutics

Patient Rating

The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey.

Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

Learn About Our Survey

Likelihood of recommending care provider

4.6/ 5

Care provider's explanation of condition/problem

4.6/ 5

Care provider's effort to include me in decisions

4.7/ 5

Wait time at clinic

4.5/ 5

Care provider's concern for questions & worries

4.6/ 5

Patient Comments

Patient comments are gathered from our Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survery and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

UofU Patient November 23, 2020
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

I'm confident that I am getting the best care possible from Doctor Mulvilhill.

UofU Patient September 23, 2020
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

Good

UofU Patient July 28, 2020
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

Good experience.

UofU Patient April 14, 2020
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

everything went well

UofU Patient April 07, 2020
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

everything to my satisfaction

UofU Patient April 05, 2020
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

Very thorough and mindful to communicating in laymans' terms.

UofU Patient February 24, 2020
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

good

UofU Patient December 29, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

very good

UofU Patient November 19, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

My provider exuded his expertise.

UofU Patient November 05, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

I am very happy to have my provider, he always listens to my concerns, and he cares what I have to say. I am very happy he is so knowledgeable.

UofU Patient October 31, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

excellent

UofU Patient October 08, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

Dr Mulvihill is the best!

UofU Patient October 01, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

1 out of 5 stars

worst manners I have experienced, attitude, your wasting my time. NO, you waisted mine, because you were not willing to listen

UofU Patient June 28, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

I feel very confident with Dr Mulvihill and his Physician Assistants. He is always concerned in giving you the best care, asks You questions. And never leaves the examine room until everything is explained in words the patient understands . Gives you his times, he is not rushing in and out.

UofU Patient June 04, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

Dr Mulvihill is such a great doctor. Because Of this my primary doctor has referred other patients to him because of me.

UofU Patient May 21, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

Doctors are outstanding

UofU Patient March 19, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Mulvihill was transparent, candid, thorough, and attentive to my questions and concerns. His staff mirrors his competency and professionalism. He and they are consummate professionals.

UofU Patient February 11, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Mulvihill and his staff were thorough, courteous, and worked hard to make sure we didn't have any questions. They treated us like adults who were smart enough to understand both the gravity of my situation and the possible outcomes of my surgery and subsequent treatment. I appreciated the doctors willingness to speak openly, candidly, and honestly. I also appreciated very, very much the fact that he was willing to answer my questions and treat me like I understood what he was talking about.

UofU Patient February 03, 2019
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

I feel like I could not have a better provider?

UofU Patient December 10, 2018
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

I have complete confidence in Doctor Mulvihill. He explained everything to me and addressed my concerns.

UofU Patient December 04, 2018
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

I always feel confident when I have an appointment there and have the trust in the Doctor's that I have had.

UofU Patient October 09, 2018
HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

5 out of 5 stars

put us at ease and made us feel comfortable

UofU Patient June 30, 2018

Dr. Mulvohil and his team made me feel at ease and they never left me out of any decisions and always checked with both myself and my wife to be certain that we understood and we're informed about the ups and down. Great job.

UofU Patient June 19, 2018

I saw the doctor about every 6 months for a couple of years as we watched cysts in my pancreas.

UofU Patient June 13, 2018

I am proud to say that Dr. Mulvohil does such an excellent job and follows through to make his patients feel not just relief from the procedures but also to know that he is there if we need him for any type of support. I am very pleased to say that I personally believe that the Huntsman Cancer Center has excellent choices of Doctots.

UofU Patient May 20, 2018

I received such confidence from the care givers that I knew exactly what was needed to happen and what to expect and at the same time all my questions were answered in such a way that I felt they were all understood.

UofU Patient April 09, 2018

Dr. Mulvihill was excellent in all areas.

UofU Patient March 21, 2018

I could not ask for better service

UofU Patient December 18, 2017

I'm so glad my care is at Huntsman Hospital; I appreciate Dr. Mulvihill and know I have the best care and doctor; I feel comfortable and at ease and appreciate his concern and I have the utmost confidence in him. The staff there is great; Brandi is always kind and my experiences there are always pleasant. I'm so grateful I ended up at your hospital and with an excellent doctor.

UofU Patient October 09, 2017

He makes you feel at ease.

UofU Patient September 30, 2017

Excellent visit - thorough, unrushed, couldn't expect more or better.

UofU Patient August 19, 2017

We couldn't ask for anything better!!

UofU Patient August 01, 2017

Because I was/am anxious, I didn't think of all the questions i now have. However, I believe the doctor and team answered what I asked. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and seemed concerned. The process was as efficient and pleasant as possible under the circumstances.

UofU Patient February 21, 2017

I was very satisfied with my visit.

UofU Patient February 07, 2017

Even though we had never met the care provider prior to the appointment we felt very comfortable with his professionalism and friendliness

UofU Patient February 04, 2017

Dr. Mulvihill has always been kind, concerned, pleasant, and never rushed. His confidence has been a big part of my recovery.

UofU Patient January 30, 2017

Saved my life.

UofU Patient December 06, 2016

Very friendly, kind, and knowledgable, and personable. Came to him for a second opinion, his was against surgery instead of for as my original Dr, so i was left feeling very conflicted about what to do next. My only complaint is the Dr. didnt spend much time with me. maybe five minutes. didn't really get to ask any questions, or be given time to think. Didn't really give us much follow up information either, i left feeling confused and overwhelmed on what to do or what my options were.

UofU Patient July 20, 2016

My interactions with both Dr. Cannon and Dr. Milvilhill were outstanding. Both doctors were very compassionate and gave me a clear understanding of my potential choices depending on many varying situations. I never felt rushed and all my questions were answered completely.

UofU Patient May 31, 2016

Needless to say, I was extremely impressed by the quality of service I received, which exceeded my expectations based on experiences elsewhere.

UofU Patient May 23, 2016

I have complete confidence that Dr. Mulvihill will keep us current with all pertinent information, and that he will proceed with the best plan for my health and well-being.

UofU Patient May 11, 2016

Dr. M. gave me the clearest explanation of the procedure, outcomes and what to expect after surgery. He actually listened to what I had to say about my symptoms and acted truly interested in my goals and what was important to me.

UofU Patient April 18, 2016

I feel I received the best possible care from all the staff, from the surgeon down to my hourly care, and am eternally greatful for the fine care I and my family received. Thank You.

UofU Patient April 05, 2016

Have a close friend coming on April 12th for his surgery and it was on his recommendation that I came. So I plan on paying it forward.

UofU Patient February 23, 2016

Dr. Mulvihill was well prepared to discuss my condition.

UofU Patient February 21, 2016

Dr. Mulvihill drew an example of my problem, but was not sure I understood just where my cancer was located. Later I called Brandie and she sent me an e mail that explain exactly where it was and I am very appreciative of he help.

UofU Patient December 08, 2015

I feel like I'm in the best possible hands; I feel secure and confident in my care and appreciate the concern shown me. Dr. Mulvihill is the best!

UofU Patient November 05, 2015

Dr. Mulvahill and his team are the best. I would recommend their services to everyone that I care for.

UofU Patient November 04, 2015

it is just excellent in all aspects

UofU Patient November 03, 2015

I have nothing but praise for the way I was treated.

UofU Patient October 20, 2015

This was an out of network second opinion about a potential surgery recommended by my in network doctor and surgeon and therefore expensive. I feel that the doctor should have been better informed of my particular circumstances which he could have been if he had spent more time reading the information provided before the appointment. I left more confused than when I arrived.

UofU Patient September 09, 2015

All of the staff spent a great deal of time with me and were exceedingly kind, caring and very helpful in working to ease my fears.

UofU Patient August 17, 2015

I have spent a lot of time at the Huntsman Center during the last several months. Everyone has been nothing less than angels and their care and assistance have exceeded my expectations.

UofU Patient July 21, 2015

I'm sorry that I was late for my appointment. I read the appointment card wrong. Was thankful that they still let me see the doctor.

UofU Patient December 12, 2014

No bad comments. He was good.

UofU Patient December 08, 2014

we were very impressed with Dr. Mulvihill and his expertise.

UofU Patient February 16, 2014

we feel very lucky to have met Dr Mulvihill and have him treating me

UofU Patient February 13, 2014

i would like to say that the doctor, staff , and all are very polite.

UofU Patient February 10, 2014

Encouraging and very clear.

UofU Patient November 27, 2013

all my questions were discussed and I left with a confident feeling that my next steps were to be

UofU Patient October 08, 2013

Dr. Mulvihill is a great doctor and is very pleasant to talk with as well. he was great on answering all our questions and concerns in terms which we understood . My experience with Dr. Mulvihill would be a 100% referral to anyone whom I know would need his assistance as well.

UofU Patient June 25, 2013

excellent and impressed with the knowledge level and with the terminology used for ease of understanding all issues talked about.

UofU Patient May 13, 2013

Extremely positive experience.

UofU Patient January 22, 2013

Came to Dr. Mulvihill by recommendation of a doctor i work for now. Also, he was the specialist that my origional surgeon was talking to. i knew i was in good hands before i arrived. Talking with Dr. Mulvihill in person confirmed that!

UofU Patient October 23, 2012

Always a good experience

UofU Patient June 15, 2012

I feel very confident that I am in good hands

UofU Patient May 12, 2012

All care providers I have met or been counseled by while at Huntsman have been extremely professional and very friendly

UofU Patient March 14, 2012

Dr. Mulvihill was excellent and we enjoyed learning from him and hearing his plan for my treatment. He was very professional, thorough, informative, positive, and kind.

UofU Patient February 18, 2012

Excellent in every respect. Profesional, informative, and personable.

UofU Patient February 11, 2012

My diagnosis was not clear. I hope it will be resolved quickly and given priority. I also wish to be informed of my situation as it progresses.

UofU Patient February 07, 2012

I was very well treated

UofU Patient February 04, 2012

I highly regard Dr. Mulvihill's expertise, mannerism and professionalism. I consider I have access to the best!

Sean Mulvihill, MD has specialized expertise in the treatment of diseases of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas. He is board certified in general surgery. His main clinical focus is in the management of patients with pancreatic tumors, such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors. He has integrated a research program funded by the National Cancer Institute into his clinical practice, with the aim of determining the underlying cause of these cancers and identifying new treatment approaches. This knowledge is leading to improved diagnostic strategies, improved selection of treatment options, and improved outcomes.

Academic Locations

Huntsman Cancer Hospital

801-581-7167

1950 Circle of Hope
Dept of Surgery, Ste N6405
Salt Lake City, UT  84112

Board Certification and Academic Information

Academic Departments Surgery - Professor
Academic Divisions General Surgery
Cancer Center Programs Experimental Therapeutics

Research Interests

  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Clinical Trials in Pancreatic Disease
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Education, Professional, Retraining
  • Gastrointestinal Physiology

Education History

Chief Resident University of California - Los Angeles
General Surgery
Chief Resident
Residency University of California - Los Angeles
General Surgery
Resident
Postdoctoral Fellowship University of California - Los Angeles
GI Research
Postdoctoral Fellow
Residency University of California - Los Angeles
General Surgery
Resident
Internship University of California - Los Angeles
Surgery
Intern
Professional Medical University of Southern California
Medicine
M.D.
Undergraduate University of California - Davis
Zoology
B.S.

Selected Publications - Journal Articles

Journal Article

  1. Swords DS, Mulvihill SJ, Brooke BS, Stoddard GJ, Firpo MA, Scaife CL (2019). County-level Variation in Use of Surgery and Cancer-specific Survival for Stage I-II Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Ann Surg, 272(6), 1102-1109.
  2. Stokes SM, Scaife CL, Brooke BS, Glasgow RE, Mulvihill SJ, Finlayson SRG, Varghese TK Jr (2020). Hospital Costs Following Surgical Complications: A Value-driven Outcomes Analysis of Cost Savings Due to Complication Prevention. (Epub ahead of print) Ann Surg.
  3. Swords DS, Mulvihill SJ, Brooke BS, Firpo MA, Scaife CL (2019). Size and Importance of Socioeconomic Status-Based Disparities in Use of Surgery in Nonadvanced Stage Gastrointestinal Cancers. Ann Surg Oncol, 27(2), 333-341.
  4. Swords DS, Francis SR, Lloyd S, Garrido-Laguna I, Mulvihill SJ, Gruhl JD, Christensen MC, Stoddard GJ, Firpo MA, Scaife CL (2018). Lymph Node Ratio in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma After Preoperative Chemotherapy vs. Preoperative Chemoradiation and Its Utility in Decisions About Postoperative Chemotherapy. J Gastrointest Surg, 23(7), 1401-1413.
  5. Swords DS, Mulvihill SJ, Brooke BS, Skarda DE, Firpo MA, Scaife CL (2018). Disparities in utilization of treatment for clinical stage I-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma by area socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. Surgery, 165(4), 751-759.
  6. Capello M, Vykoukal JV, Katayama H, Bantis LE, Wang H, Kundnani DL, Aguilar-Bonavides C, Aguilar M, Tripathi SC, Dhillon DS, Momin AA, Peters H, Katz MH, Alvarez H, Bernard V, Ferri-Borgogno S, Brand R, Adler DG, Firpo MA, Mulvihill SJ, Molldrem JJ, Feng Z, Taguchi A, Maitra A, Hanash SM (2019). Exosomes harbor B cell targets in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and exert decoy function against complement-mediated cytotoxicity. Nat Commun, 10(1), 254.
  7. Swords DS, Mulvihill SJ, Skarda DE, Finlayson SRG, Stoddard GJ, Ott MJ, Firpo MA, Scaife CL (2017). Hospital-level Variation in Utilization of Surgery for Clinical Stage I-II Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Ann Surg, 269(1), 133-142.
  8. Sharib JM, Fonseca AL, Swords DS, Jaradeh K, Bracci PM, Firpo MA, Hatcher S, Scaife CL, Wang H, Kim GE, Mulvihill SJ, Maitra A, Koay EJ, Kirkwood KS (2018). Surgical overtreatment of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms: Do the 2017 International Consensus Guidelines improve clinical decision making? Surgery, 164(6), 1178-1184.
  9. Swords DS, Mulvihill SJ, Firpo MA, Scaife CL (2018). Causes of Death and Conditional Survival Estimates of Medium- and Long-term Survivors of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. JAMA Oncol, 4(8), 1129-1130.
  10. Young EL, Thompson BA, Neklason DW, Firpo MA, Werner T, Bell R, Berger J, Fraser A, Gammon A, Koptiuch C, Kohlmann WK, Neumayer L, Goldgar DE, Mulvihill SJ, Cannon-Albright LA, Tavtigian SV (2018). Pancreatic cancer as a sentinel for hereditary cancer predisposition. BMC Cancer, 18(1), 697.
  11. Swords DS, Zhang C, Presson AP, Firpo MA, Mulvihill SJ, Scaife CL (2017). Association of time-to-surgery with outcomes in clinical stage I-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with upfront surgery. Surgery, 163(4), 753-760.
  12. Swords DS, Firpo MA, Johnson KM, Boucher KM, Scaife CL, Mulvihill SJ (2017). Implications of inaccurate clinical nodal staging in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Surgery, 162(1), 104-111.
  13. Capello M, Bantis LE, Scelo G, Zhao Y, Li P, Dhillon DS, Patel NJ, Kundnani DL, Wang H, Abbruzzese JL, Maitra A, Tempero MA, Brand R, Firpo MA, Mulvihill SJ, Katz MH, Brennan P, Feng Z, Taguchi A, Hanash SM (2016). Sequential Validation of Blood-Based Protein Biomarker Candidates for Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst, 109(4).
  14. Poruk KE, Firpo MA, Mulvihill SJ (2014). Screening for pancreatic cancer. Adv Surg, 48, 115-36.

Case Report

  1. Bleicher J, Lombardo S, Carbine S, Kapitonov D, Pletneva MA, Mulvihill SJ (2019). Adrenocorticotropin Hormone Secreting Carcinoma of the Pancreas: A Case Report. J Pancreat Cancer, 5(1), 22-25.

News Articles

HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell Discusses Health Care Reform During Visit to University of Utah Health Care

AAMC 2014: The Sick Can't Help the Sick

University of Utah Health Care Best in Class Five Years Running

Building a Better Mouse (Model) to Study Pancreatic Cancer

Health care survival in the future: Who is poised to take the lead?

School of Medicine Names New Chair of Surgery

The Scope & Other Podcasts

  • Screening for Pancreatic cancer: Gold or Dross? - 09/07/11
  • Dr. Sean Mulvihill, Researching Cancer
  • Using the SAR - A case example
  • Using the ACS NSQIP Semi-Annual Report
  • NSQIP Program
  • Dr. Mulvihill
  • Nursing Innovation Report 2012-Huntsman Oncology
  • MulvihillThanks_10-29-13a
  • University of Utah Health Care Press Conference, 1-22-14

Videos

Using the SAR - A case example

MulvihillThanks_10-29-13a

NSQIP Program

Using the ACS NSQIP Semi-Annual Report

University of Utah Health Care Press Conference, 1-22-14

Dr. Sean Mulvihill, Researching Cancer

Screening for Pancreatic cancer: Gold or Dross? - 09/07/11

Dr. Mulvihill

Nursing Innovation Report 2012-Huntsman Oncology

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