Thoracic Surgery

The CHA thoracic surgery team are experts in diseases of the chest, including lung cancer. Appointments are available at both Cambridge Hospital and Everett Hospital. 

Our lead thoracic surgeon, Dr. Jennifer Wilson, is on staff at CHA and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She is skilled in the latest procedures, including minimally invasive procedures that can reduce pain and scarring. If you need a surgery that can’t be done at CHA, Dr. Wilson may be able to do the surgery in Boston, and then provide your follow-up care at CHA. It’s the best of both worlds.

About minimally invasive thoracic surgery

Dr. Wilson is an expert in robotic thoracic and laparoscopic surgery. This uses the DaVinci Xi robot to perform surgery using small incisions and a video camera. Minimally invasive thoracic surgery is safe, helps reduce pain after surgery and enhances recovery after surgery. It’s just one of the many powerful tools and techniques we use.

Common procedures:

• Robotic assisted laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures. Learn more.

• Laparoscopy: surgery is done by making small incisions in the abdominal wall. Often used in anti-reflux surgery.

• Thoracoscopy (VATS): small incisions in the chest wall to perform operations including lung cancer surgery.

• Bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound guided lymph node biopsies for diagnostic tests.

Benefits of minimally invasive surgery:

• Leads to fewer infections
• Typically, there is less blood loss and fewer blood transfusions needed
• Fewer days in the hospital and an overall faster recovery