Massachusetts General Hospital

Surgeons in the Mass General Gastroesophageal Surgery Program specialize in treating gastroesophageal conditions via laparoscopic and other forms of surgery. This specialization requires rigorous advanced training and a highly focused clinical practice dedicated to gastroesophageal disease management. All of our surgeons are board-certified and affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

Leaders in Gastroesophageal Surgery

Our surgeons have achieved a number of landmark milestones in treating gastroesophageal conditions. They are among the few in the world who can treat cancers of the stomach and esophagus in a completely minimally invasive manner.

They were also among the first to perform antireflux surgery and repair hiatal hernias laparoscopically. Currently, we are exploring a new minimally invasive procedure that likely will require no external incisions.

Division Chief David Rattner, MD, has served as the Gastroesophageal Surgery Program director since 2005. The past president of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), Dr. Rattner also cofounded the Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research™ (NOSCAR™). NOSCAR members comprise expert laparoscopic surgeons and interventional gastroenterologists exploring ways to perform surgery that do not cause external scars.

Multidisciplinary Gastroesophageal Care

Depending on your condition and diagnosis, your treatment team includes your surgeon as well as gastrointestinal specialists in the Cancer Center or the Digestive Healthcare Center. Your surgeon works side-by-side with your entire treatment to provide comprehensive, personalized treatment for cancer patients and other patients with complex conditions.

Conditions We Treat

Research demonstrates that high-volume experience results in improved outcomes for patients. Each year, our surgeons perform high volumes of surgical procedures conditions including:

• Achalasia (an uncommon esophageal disorder that makes swallowing difficult, often causing weight loss and other undesirable outcomes)
• Barrett's esophagus
• Esophageal cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST)
• Hiatal hernias
• Paraesophageal hernias

Our Procedures

We perform a full range of gastroesophageal surgical procedures, including:

• Esophagectomy: Surgical removal of the esophagus
• D2 node dissection: Provides a more complete surgical sample of the lymph nodes to ensure thorough diagnosis of gastric cancer
• Laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair and laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair (minimally invasive): Open repairs or hiatal and paraesophageal hernias
• Partial gastrectomy: Surgical removal of a part of the stomach
• Total gastrectomy: Surgical removal of the entire stomach
• Minimally invasive procedures: These offer shorter recovery times, smaller surgical scars and vagus nerve preservation:
  
  • Laparoscopic antireflux surgery (to treat GERD and hiatal hernias)
  • Endoluminal incisionless surgery (for GERD)
  • Laparoscopic Heller myotomies (for achalasia)
  • Laparoscopic procedures (for cancers and GIST tumors of the esophagus, stomach and gastroesophageal junction) 
  • Ablation procedures (for Barrett's esophagus)
    • Radiofrequency ablation
    • Cryotherapy

Research & Clinical Trials

Our surgeons are accomplished researchers who are at the forefront of the latest surgical and medical innovations. Browse online for open clinical trials.

Massachusetts General Hospital offers new, less invasive treatment for GERD

Massachusetts General Hospital introduces an innovative procedure for patients experiencing symptoms of GERD. A bracelet of magnetic beads can help the lower esophageal sphincter to resist gastric pressures and prevent reflux.

Frequently asked questions: LINX® system

David Rattner, MD, chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery at the Mass General Digestive Healthcare Center, answers frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the LINX® Reflux Management System, a new treatment option for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Three months after surgery, patient has new lease on life

The MGH was the first hospital in New England to offer a new procedure in which a flexible bracelet of magnetic titanium beads is laparoscopically implanted around the esophagus to help treat GERD.

Magnetic esophageal sphincter device benefits patients with GERD

The New England Journal of Medicine publishes the three-year results of a study of the safety and effectiveness of a new device for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).