This paper deals with the reflections on the problems involved in the marketing of health care services. There are a number of particularities and limitations requiring a creative approach to the application of marketing to health care organizations. The first part of the paper summarizes theoretical contributions on specific characteristics of services marketing in health care. Exploratory research of the perceptions among surgeons of health services marketing, which is described in the second part, provides a useful insight into the possibility of applying marketing to specialist surgical services. Research was conducted among general surgeons employed at Croatian public health care organizations. Results show a discrepancy between the awareness of services marketing and its application to surgical practice. Continuous education is necessary to better acquaint surgeons with services marketing as a business philosophy, which may improve performance in the provision of health services.