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Chelsea A. Harris
( out of 53 reviews )

Chelsea A. Harris, MD, MS

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Primary Location

University of Utah Hospital

Plastic Surgery, Area E
50 N Medical Dr
Salt Lake City , UT 84132

Chelsea Harris, MD, MS

Chelsea Harris, MD, MS is a board certified plastic surgeon with a broad-based reconstructive practice. She has a special clinical interest in abdominal wall reconstruction, body contouring, and wound care, and values a multi-disciplinary approach to surgical planning. Additionally, Dr. Harris performs transmasculine chest wall reconstruction ("top surgery") and reconstruction for a variety of traumatic and cancer-related injuries.

Dr. Harris' Clinical Interests Include:

  • Abdominal wall reconstruction
  • Post-bariatric body contouring
  • Post-oncologic reconstruction
  • Wound care
  • Limb salvage

Dr. Harris earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University, her medical degree from the University of Vermont, and completed her General Surgery training at the University of Maryland/Shock Trauma. During her general surgery residency, she completed a two-year T32 research fellowship through University of Michigan’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy, where she also earned a Masters in Health Services Research. She completed her Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Harris' Research Interests Include:

  • Health Services
  • How to better elucidate patient preferences and integrate them into care
  • Building data-driven approaches to evaluate and improve medical culture to better meet the holistic needs of patients and providers
  • Systems-based approaches to patients' complex reconstructive needs, such as those encountered in non-healing wounds, abdominal wall reconstruction, and trauma

Dr. Harris has garnered international recognition through her work with the Cultural Complications Curriculum, a program that guides medical professionals in attending to instances of cultural breakdown with the same rigor they apply to medical or surgical errors. Her research has been supported with intramural and societal grant funding. Dr. Harris is also a leader in leveraging social media for research dissemination, having served as Creative Director at Annals of Surgery and the American Journal of Surgery. Over the course of her training, she has won multiple teaching and professional awards, and was the 2021 recipient of the Association of Women Surgeon’s Hilary Sanfey Outstanding Resident award.

Dr. Harris strives to understand patients' functional and aesthetic goals better so that they can tailor a surgical approach to improve their lives together. She seeks to honor each patient's unique identity and context to craft an approach that is safe, effective, and reflective of their individuality.

In her spare time, Dr. Harris enjoys skiing, ice hockey, broomball, hiking, painting, Broadway musicals, and spending time with family.

Board Certification

American Board of Surgery
American Board of Plastic Surgery

Patient Rating

Patients consistently praise Dr. Harris for her surgical skill and the quality of outcomes she achieves. Reviewers frequently note that she explains procedures clearly, listens carefully, answers questions, and makes them feel comfortable and confident. Many comments also highlight her compassionate bedside manner, professionalism, and attentive follow-up care from her and the clinical team.

Generated via Patient Reviews

5.0 /5
( out of 53 reviews )

The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers. The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.


May 29, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She is very professional, she knows what she is doing. God bless the Doctor so that she may always be professional and very humane. [TRANSLATED]

May 28, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She is wonderful!

May 09, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr Harris is highly intelligent in her field. I would highly recommend her a s a plastic surgeon.

May 08, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Harris was awesome polite and thorough she covered everything and made me feel at ease. I felt that she truly cared about my outcome. Awesome bed side manner.

Apr 26, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She did a very good job ,,takes care in all of her patients ......

Apr 24, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Harris for your surgery. Not only is she incredibly capable, she is kind and patient and really took the time to address my wants, needs, and concerns before and after surgery. She and had to roll with a last minute surprise and made sure I got the best care possible throughout.

Apr 19, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She was very good explaining things. I feel very confident in what she will have do.

Apr 17, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

As I statr to getting to know her, my sense is that Dr. Harris is very knowledgeable and cares for her patients with regard for their concerns.

Apr 13, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Very kind and professional..easy to talk to and express concerns..

Mar 22, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She is so nice..makes you feel comfortable to talk...I've been so scared and she has done such a great job explaining my situation.. everyone has been so helpful...thank you for being so kind..

Feb 18, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

From the get-go, Dr. Harris has been attentive and competently caring to my health needs. I cannot imagine having a better experience and am truly grateful for her care and skill.

Jan 25, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

I would highly recommend dr harris to my friends and family

Jan 20, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Very professional and very knowledgeable about the procedure to which I traveled out of state for....

Jan 03, 2026
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Very perfessional . Knowledgeable. Friendly. Took time to answer all my ? . Excellent dr.

Dec 20, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She is a good surgeon I'm so happy with her job.

Dec 13, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

I totally appreciate that job you did to me I'm very happy

Dec 12, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Surgery and follow up care was warmly provided by Dr. Harris. She explains everything and sees that you are taken care of and all questions are answered. I appreciate her care greatly.

Nov 12, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She explained very clearly about my surgery I feel secure thank you

Oct 26, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

I appreciate the time U gave me a the other staff that assisted me. Even tho U felt U could not help my situation at this time. I thank U very much for for your time. [NAME REMOVED]

Oct 18, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Harris is smart, caring, thorough, and an incredible plastic surgeon. I trust her. She's awesome!

Jul 18, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Harris, she is awesome! Would definitely recommend her.

Jul 04, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She was very clear and explained my procedure very well

May 24, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Harris is incredible. She dramatically improved the appearance of a scar on my chestÑIÕm beyond happy with the results. Compassionate, skilled, and talented.

May 23, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Harris is an amazing plastic surgeon. She is truly so caring and kind and I am thrilled with my outcome.

Apr 25, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Harris is so competent and really listens.

Apr 13, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Very nice professional and compassionate.

Apr 04, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Harris was great to sit with and discuss my situation. She listened to my questions and provided exact answers to them with compassion and making sure I completley understood the possible procedure. I appreciate her ability to explain things so they are easy to understand.

Apr 04, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Awesome and very caring. Did a great job taking off some of my stitches and a JP drain. Medical staff took great care of me.

Mar 14, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Harris does an excellent job of explaining things. She listened to my concerns and answered all my questions.

Feb 08, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

I appreciate Dr. Harris' enthusiasm! She made sure that I understand what is going to happen, and answered all our questions. I left feeling confident that she will do her very best and has my best interest in mind. Dr. Harris makes you feel comfortable and at ease, and has a great sense of humor! A very pleasant disposition.

Feb 03, 2025
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

She is a good Dr as well

Dec 29, 2024
UH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

She explained every aspect of the surgery during the consultation, made sure I was good with the details again during the pre-op appointments, and she took every concern I had post-op seriously and explained everything to me in a way I understood.

Dec 22, 2024
UH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

Dr. Harris did an amazing job with my Mastopexy! She used my own tissue to make a beautiful full and lifted shape. My results exceeded expectations and look better than many before / after photos I've seen of this procedure. I'd recommend Dr. Harris to anyone, her care and skill are excellent!

Nov 25, 2024
UH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

Dr. Harris did an excellent job of explaining the procedures and options of the surgery. She answered questions, and made herself available for future questions. I liked her enthusiasm for doing this kind of work! This was my preliminary consultation.

Oct 18, 2024
UH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

Dr. Harris is so amazing and caring. She has literally saved my wife's leg from being amputated by caring enough to do everything possible to save it. She and her team at the University are so wonderful

Oct 11, 2024
UH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

Dr. Harris is a fantastic person and surgeon. Very professional and courageous.

Oct 10, 2024
UH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

Very impressed with Dr. Chelsea Harris

Oct 05, 2024
UH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

She is so knowledgeable and kind. Doesn't talk down to you and genuinely listens and cares!

Sep 28, 2024
UH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

Brilliant doctor. I am so thankful for her expertise and amazing bedside manner.


Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

Chelsea Harris, MD, MS

Chelsea Harris, MD, MS is a board certified plastic surgeon with a broad-based reconstructive practice. She has a special clinical interest in abdominal wall reconstruction, body contouring, and wound care, and values a multi-disciplinary approach to surgical planning. Additionally, Dr. Harris performs transmasculine chest wall reconstruction ("top surgery") and reconstruction for a variety of traumatic and cancer-related injuries.

Dr. Harris' Clinical Interests Include:

  • Abdominal wall reconstruction
  • Post-bariatric body contouring
  • Post-oncologic reconstruction
  • Wound care
  • Limb salvage

Dr. Harris earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University, her medical degree from the University of Vermont, and completed her General Surgery training at the University of Maryland/Shock Trauma. During her general surgery residency, she completed a two-year T32 research fellowship through University of Michigan’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy, where she also earned a Masters in Health Services Research. She completed her Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Harris' Research Interests Include:

  • Health Services
  • How to better elucidate patient preferences and integrate them into care
  • Building data-driven approaches to evaluate and improve medical culture to better meet the holistic needs of patients and providers
  • Systems-based approaches to patients' complex reconstructive needs, such as those encountered in non-healing wounds, abdominal wall reconstruction, and trauma

Dr. Harris has garnered international recognition through her work with the Cultural Complications Curriculum, a program that guides medical professionals in attending to instances of cultural breakdown with the same rigor they apply to medical or surgical errors. Her research has been supported with intramural and societal grant funding. Dr. Harris is also a leader in leveraging social media for research dissemination, having served as Creative Director at Annals of Surgery and the American Journal of Surgery. Over the course of her training, she has won multiple teaching and professional awards, and was the 2021 recipient of the Association of Women Surgeon’s Hilary Sanfey Outstanding Resident award.

Dr. Harris strives to understand patients' functional and aesthetic goals better so that they can tailor a surgical approach to improve their lives together. She seeks to honor each patient's unique identity and context to craft an approach that is safe, effective, and reflective of their individuality.

In her spare time, Dr. Harris enjoys skiing, ice hockey, broomball, hiking, painting, Broadway musicals, and spending time with family.

Board Certification and Academic Information

Academic Departments Surgery -Assistant Professor
Academic Divisions Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Board Certification
American Board of Surgery
American Board of Plastic Surgery

Education history

Undergraduate Human Biology - Brown University B.Sc.
Undergraduate Danish Institute for Study Abroad
Professional Medical Medicine - University of Vermont College of Medicine M.D.
Internship University of Maryland School of Medicine Intern
Residency General Surgery - University of Maryland School of Medicine Resident
Graduate Training Health and Health Care Research - University of Michigan M.Sc.
Fellowship Plastic Surgery - Johns Hopkins Hospital Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Dimick JB, Harris C, Barrett M, Kent KC, Sosa JA, Farmer DL (2023). American Surgical Association Presidential Session: Navigating the Collision of Corporate Medicine and Changing Workforce Expectations. Ann Surg, 278(4), 471-478.
  2. Harris CA, Dimick JB, Dossett L (2021). Cultural Complications: A Novel Strategy to Build a More Inclusive Culture. Annals of surgery, 273(3), e97-e99.
  3. Ngaage LM, Harris C, Rosen C, Ge S, Kim C, Rada EM, Manahan M, Silverman RP, Slezak S, Rasko YM (2020). Sex Disparity in Academic Rank and Industry Payments to Plastic Surgeons. Ann Plast Surg, 84(2), 201-207.
  4. Ngaage LM, Kim CJ, Harris C, McNichols CH, Ihenatu C, Rosen C, Elegbede A, Gebran S, Liang F, Rada EM, Nam A, Slezak S, Lifchez SD, Rasko YM (2020). Graduate perception of cosmetic surgery training in plastic surgery residency and fellowship programs. Arch Plast Surg, 47(1), 70-77.
  5. Ngaage LM, Ngadimin C, Harris C, Rawes C, Wu Y, Landford W, Slezak S, Rasko YM (2020). The Glass Ceiling in Plastic Surgery: A Propensity-Matched Analysis of the Gender Gap in Career Advancement. Plast Reconstr Surg, 146(3), 690-697.
  6. Harris CA, Evans HL, Telem DA (2020). A Practical Decontamination Framework for COVID-19 Front-line Workers Returning Home. Ann Surg, 272(2), e129-e131.
  7. Ngaage LM, Harris C, Landford W, Knighton BJ, Stewart T, Ge S, Silverman RP, Slezak S, Rasko YM (2020). Follow the money: Investigating gender disparity in industry payments among senior academics and leaders in plastic surgery. PLoS One, 15(12), e0235058.
  8. Harris CA, Banerjee T, Cramer M, Manz S, Ward ST, Dimick J, Telem DA (2019). Editorial (Spring) Board? Gender Composition in High-impact General Surgery Journals Over 20 Years. Ann Surg, 269(3), 582-588.
  9. Harris CA, Shauver MJ, Nasser JS, Chung KC (2019). The golden year: How functional recovery sets the stage for tendon transfer surgery among patients with tetraplegia-a qualitative analysis. Surgery, 165(2), 365-372.
  10. Wallace BI, Harris CA, Wang L, Liu M, Chen JS, Kuo CF, Chung KC (2019). Impact of Cumulative Corticosteroid Dosage on Preventable Hospitalization among Taiwanese Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J Clin Med, 8(5).
  11. Ngaage LM, Harris C, Gao C, Puthumana J, Crabill GA, Baglien B, Wu Y, Rosen C, Rada EM, Groves M, Sansur CA, Rasko YM (2019). Investigating the Gender Pay Gap in Industry Contributions to Academic Neurosurgeons. World Neurosurg, 130, 516-522.e1.
  12. Oliphant BW, Harris CA, Cain-Nielsen AH, Goulet JA, Hemmila MR (2019). Not Further Specified: Unclassified Orthopedic Injuries in Trauma Registries, Cause for Concern? J Surg Res, 244, 521-527.
  13. Harris CA, Muller JM, Shauver MJ, Chung KC (2018). Leveraging the Medical Context to Increase Upper Extremity Reconstruction Among Patients With Tetraplegia: A Qualitative Analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 99(3), 459-467.e1.
  14. Harris CA, Shauver MJ, Yuan F, Nasser J, Chung KC (2018). Understanding Patient Preferences in Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Surgery for Osteoarthritis: A Conjoint Analysis. J Hand Surg Am, 43(7), 615-624.e4.
  15. Harris CA, Muller JM, Shauver MJ, Chung KC (2017). Checkpoints to Progression: Qualitative Analysis of the Personal and Contextual Factors That Influence Selection of Upper Extremity Reconstruction Among Patients With Tetraplegia. J Hand Surg Am, 42(7), 495-505.e11.
  16. Harris CA, Blencowe N, Telem D (2017). What is in a Pronoun?: Why Gender-fair Language Matters. Annals of surgery, 266(6), 932-933.

Editorial

  1. Harris CA, Dimick JB, Dossett LA (2021). Cultural complications: Why, how, and lessons learned. Am J Surg, 221(3), 609-611.
  2. Baskin AS, Dossett LA, Harris CA (2021). Cultural Complications Curriculum: Applicability to Surgical Oncology Programs and Practices. Ann Surg Oncol, 28(8), 4088-4092.

Letter

  1. Harris CA, Blencowe N, Telem (2018). Response: "Gender Fair Language Matters?". Annals of surgery, 268(6), e93.