BMC Physician Named Chief and Chair of Thoracic Surgery

Hiran Fernando, MBBS, FRCS, FACS has been named the new chief and chair of thoracic surgery at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).

A cardiothoracic surgeon at BMC and associate professor of cardiothoracic surgery at BUSM, Fernando has a rich history of clinical research including being the principal investigator for national cooperative group trials for both lung and esophageal cancer. “Fernando is a superb technical surgeon and his leadership of the division of thoracic surgery will surely build upon the strong history of clinical advances from BMC and BUSM,” said Gerard Doherty, MD, chief and chair of surgery.

Director of BMC’s Center for Minimally Invasive Esophageal Surgery, Fernando’s clinical interests include lung cancer therapies using minimally invasive techniques such as VATS or robotic lobectomy and radiofrequency ablation, minimally invasive esophagectomy, laparoscopic and endoscopic therapies for reflux.

Fernando is one of the first specialists in Boston to be trained in the new Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF) procedure, an incisionless technique used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, as well as port access robotic lobectomy, a new minimally invasive procedure for lung cancer. BMC was the first hospital in New England to perform robotic operations for thoracic diseases such as lung cancer and currently has the largest thoracic robotic program in Boston.

Selected by Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors 2011 and 2012, Fernando is a member of the American College of Surgeons and American Association for Thoracic Surgery.

Fernando obtained his medical degree at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in London. He completed his general and thoracic surgical training in the University of California system before undergoing additional training in minimally invasive thoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, where he joined the staff before coming to BMC and BUSM.