The thoracic surgery team at CHA diagnoses, prevents and treats diseases of the chest, including lung cancer. Our team can see you at both Cambridge and Everett Hospital. When possible, we use methods proven to reduce pain and scarring, leading to a faster recovery. The head of our thoracic surgery team, Dr. Jennifer Wilson, is on staff at both CHA and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. If you need a surgery that can’t be performed 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. What is minimally invasive thoracic surgery? CHA surgeons are trained in the latest minimally invasive techniques, which can make recovery easier. This includes video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). In this method, a tiny video camera is inserted into the chest to let us see the area being operated on. 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 today at CHA. Common procedures: 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