Surgery

From minimally invasive hernia repair to organ transplants and open heart procedures, our surgeons have the skills and experience to help get you on the road to better health.
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Delivering compassionate care with surgical precision

Surgery can be a treatment option for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it's because other non-invasive (like medications and lifestyle changes) or minimally-invasive treatments haven't had the intended effect. And for other times, surgery is the best way to help you get on the road to recovery. Whatever the story is that led you to this point, you can rest assured knowing you’re in safe hands at Tufts Medicine.

We have decades of experience performing all kinds of procedures, from laparoscopic surgeries using incisions the size of a quarter to complete organ transplants. And after performing thorough evaluations, we may determine that you're the right candidate for surgeries that don't require any incisions.
Beth Phelan, RN comforting a pre surgery patient in stretcher in hallway in Lowell General Hospital's Heart and Vascular department.
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Conditions

All across Tufts Medicine, surgeons work with doctors and other care team members to address conditions like:
Breast conditions
Cardiovascular conditions
Dermatologic conditions
Ear, nose and throat conditions
Eye diseases
Gastrointestinal and digestive conditions
Gynecologic and reproductive conditions
Neurological diseases
Oral and maxillofacial conditions
Organ failure
Orthopedic (musculoskeletal) conditions
Thoracic conditions
Urological conditions
Weight loss
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Testing

Before a surgery, we’ll order imaging and radiology tests to get the full picture of your health. If you're seeking an elective surgery, your doctor will help you coordinate lab work, too. Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following to receive answers about your condition:
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Treatments

When noninvasive treatments like medication and lifestyle changes aren’t the right choice for your treatment path or haven’t offered enough relief for your condition, we look to surgery to accomplish goals like:

  • Diagnosing a condition
  • Improving function
  • Relieving pain
  • Saving a life

Surgical specialties 

We pride ourselves on being able to perform safe, effective surgical procedures in any part of the body. Our expertise in certain surgical techniques like Gamma Knife surgery and robotic-assisted surgery set us apart across Greater Boston and southern New Hampshire. 
Gamma Knife surgery

Gamma Knife surgery offers a safe alternative to open and more invasive surgeries for treating a wide range of brain cancers, benign tumors, facial pain and vascular malformations.

Despite the name, there’s no knife involved in this procedure — just highly focused radiation beams that eliminate a tumor or growth while sparing healthy tissue. We’re proud to be among the few health systems in the region to offer Gamma Knife surgery.
General surgery

Our general surgeons treat a wide range of conditions, including:
Minimally invasive surgery

Major surgery can take a major toll on your body. With minimally invasive surgery, we can accomplish procedures ranging from brain tumor removal, to hernia repair, heart valve surgery and kidney transplants with just a few small incisions.
Robotic-assisted surgery

At Tufts Medicine, we harness the power of robotics to perform minimally invasive surgeries. We use the latest techniques and technology, like Mako SmartRobotics™ and the da Vinci® Surgical System to perform important procedures like removing tumors and healing a hernia.

What does that mean for you? A handful of benefits compared to more invasive surgeries, including:

  • Less pain 
  • Shorter hospital stays 
  • Safer, more effective procedures
Trauma surgery

Every second counts in an emergency. That’s why we have a trauma surgeon on standby 24/7 to perform life-saving procedures.

Types of surgery

Every program at Tufts Medicine works with our brightest minds and steadiest hands in surgery to address your unique healthcare needs.
Breast surgery + oncoplastic surgery

While breast surgery is most often performed to treat breast cancer, your care team may recommend surgery for people:

  • Living with benign (noncancerous) breast tumors
  • Living with other conditions affecting the breasts
  • Seeking a cosmetic change to their appearance

We perform the following types of breast surgeries:

We also specialize in oncoplastic breast surgery — a “2 for 1” procedure where we remove a tumor and reconstruct the breast at the same time. 
Cancer surgery

Surgical oncology is a safe and effective option for removing cancerous tumors and getting you on the road to recovery. We treat the full spectrum of cancers, including:
Cardiac surgery

Our colleagues in cardiac surgery are among the brightest minds in the field. You can put your trust in their hands to perform a variety of minimally invasive and open heart procedures, including:
Ear, nose + throat (ENT) surgery

Our otolaryngologists (ENT experts) perform the following surgical procedures to improve hearing, balance, swallowing disorders as well as enhance cosmetic appearances:
Dentistry + oral and maxillofacial surgery

The jaw plays a very important role in our daily life. So when a condition starts affecting how your jaw works — like talking, chewing and keeping teeth in place — these oral and maxillofacial surgeries can help you overcome dental and facial challenges:

  • Craniofacial pain
  • Emergency dental surgery
  • Endodontic care
  • Esthetic and restorative dentistry
  • Dental implants
  • Oral pathology
  • Orthodontics
  • Pediatric dentistry
  • Periodontics
  • Prosthodontic care
Dermatologic surgery

As your body’s biggest organ, your skin deserves expert dermatology attention. You can feel confident that you'll leave our offices with skin that not only feels healthy, but looks healthy, too. Our physicians are specially trained in a range of minimally invasive treatments, including:

We also perform medical dermatologic procedures that remove skin cancer quickly and efficiently, with only local anesthesia, so you can go home the same day. Immediately following the removal, we can perform reconstructive surgery that minimizes scarring.
Eye surgery

Our team aims to deliver the highest-quality ophthalmic services in a compassionate, comfortable environment. Some of the surgical services we provide include:

  • Cornea transplant
  • Glaucoma and cataracts surgery
  • Laser vision correction
  • Ocular melanoma surgical treatments
Gastrointestinal + digestive surgery

Our gastrointestinal surgeons are here to help you trust your gut again. Some of the procedures we perform to get you on the path to better health include:
Gynecologic surgery

Sometimes, surgery is necessary to get your reproductive health back on track. We offer the latest minimally invasive and robotic surgery techniques so that you can return to your daily activities with minimal pain and quicker recovery times:
Neurosurgery

Our neurosurgery team is dedicated to giving people a lifetime of care for neurologic diseases, including brain tumors, aneurysms and spinal problems. We can achieve this with the following surgical procedures:
Orthopedic surgery

You can count on us to provide the full range orthopedic surgical services using the latest techniques like Mako SmartRobotics™ as well as orthopedic trauma care, including:
Plastic surgery

We offer a wide range of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures using state-of-the-art techniques. We also evaluate and treat congenital (present at birth), acquired and traumatic deformities that require plastic or reconstructive surgery. You can turn to our plastic surgeons for:
Thoracic surgery

The thoracic region is the space between your neck and abdomen. We use the latest minimally invasive techniques available in thoracic surgery to get you back to living your best life, such as:
Transplant surgery

When organs like the heart, kidneys or bone marrow can no longer perform their most essential functions, transplant surgery can give you back the quality of life you expect and deserve. Our surgeons specialize in a variety of transplant surgeries, like:
Urologic surgery

Urologists care for people living with conditions that affect their urinary system. Some of the urologic surgeries we offer include:

  • Kidney stone removal
  • Minimally invasive urologic surgery
  • Obstructive uropathy
  • Reconstructive urology 
  • Urologic cancer surgery
Vascular surgery

When something as complex and delicate as the vascular system isn't working as it should, it can have a major effect on your health and quality of life. Our board-certified vascular surgeons turn to a variety of vascular surgeries to improve blood flow: 
Weight loss (bariatric) surgery

Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, works in 1 of 2 ways:

  1. Reducing the amount of food you can eat by shrinking the size of your stomach 
  2. Restricting the amount of fats, protein, vitamins and minerals your body can absorb. 

Our surgeons perform 3 types of bariatric surgery for weight loss:

  • Gastric band surgery
  • Gastric bypass surgery
  • Vertical sleeve gastrectomy
Urulogy Associate Mariepet Ask, MD starting a DaVinci urology surgery in the operating room at Tufts Medical Center.
Our locations

From regular office visits to inpatient stays, find the healthcare you need and deserve close to home.
Cardiologist Omar Ali, MD, FACC performing a surgery on a heart and vascular patient in Lowell General Hospital's Cath Lab with the help of a nurse.
Our doctors + care team

Meet the doctors and care team devoted to supporting you every step of the way along your path to better health.

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