James Burns, M.D.
Laryngeal Surgeon
Phone: 617-726-1444
burns.James@mgh.harvard.edu

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Dr. Burns is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Medical School.  He completed residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery in 1996 at the University of Virginia Health Science Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Following the completion of his residency, he served four years on active duty with the United States Air Force between 1996 and 2000.  During that time Dr. Burns served as the medical director of the Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery service at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.  He was directly responsible for a team of three additional surgeons, five enlisted corps support personnel, and two physician assistant (PA) students.   He received the Humanitarian Service Award along with an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 2000.  After two years in private practice in Virginia, he received an additional year of training at Harvard at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in a Laryngology and Care of the Professional Voice fellowship.  At the completion of his fellowship Dr. Burns returned to the University of Virginia as the Director of the newly formed division of Laryngology and proceeded to develop a state of the art voice center where none had previously existed.

Due to his accomplishments as a standout fellow, and as a consequence of a national search, he was recruited to join the full time faculty in the Department of Surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital as part of the newly formed Voice Center.  Since joining the staff, his efforts have been concentrated in the area of microlaryngeal and laryngeal framework surgery as well as head and neck cancer and endoscopic airway stenosis management.  His fellowship in laryngology had a special focus on all aspects of endoscopic microlaryngeal surgical techniques, including office-based procedures and photoangiolytic treatment of benign and malignant laryngeal lesions, which Dr. Burns has continued to pursue at the Massachusetts General Hospital, adding a unique expertise to his already considerable background and experience in laryngeal surgery.

Dr. Burns is a member of the American Broncho-Esophagological Association and was elected to active fellowship in The Triological Society in 2008 after completion of his thesis entitled “Predicting Clinical Efficacy of Photoangiolytic and Cutting/Ablating Lasers Using the Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane Model: Implications for Endoscopic Voice Surgery”.