Hiran C. Fernando, MD
Dr. Hiran C. Fernando is the director of thoracic surgery at Allegheny General Hospital and Professor of Surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine. He is skilled in the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robotic procedures for the lung, esophagus, and mediastinum, including pleural mesothelioma.[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Fernando earned his medical degree at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine at the University of London in England.
He completed an internship and residencies in California at Harbor-UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC Davis, and completed a fellowship in minimally invasive thoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1]
After completing his medical education and training, Dr. Fernando practiced at Boston University Medical Center, where he achieved the rank of Chief of Thoracic Surgery.
He then moved on to assume the role of Co-Director of Thoracic Oncology at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus at Virginia Commonwealth University before accepting his current role at Allegheny Health Network.
Dr. Fernando is currently the director of thoracic surgery at Allegheny General Hospital. He is also a professor of surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine. He is skilled in advanced surgical procedures, including robotic thoracic surgery and endoscopic procedures. He sees patients at three locations:
- AHN Thoracic Surgery Natrona Heights in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania
- AHN Thoracic Surgery at Forbes Medical Office Building 1 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania
- AHN Thoracic Surgery at Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Dr. Fernando’s medical philosophy is based on his belief that every patient faces a different set of challenges in managing their disease, with differences in severity, symptoms, and overall risk factors.
He makes himself a partner in his patients’ journey, helping them choose a treatment that balances the three goals of achieving the best outcome, minimizing risks, and preserving the quality of life.
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Fernando has been a member of several medical societies over his decades of medical practice, including:[1]
- European Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- American Surgical Association
- British Oesophageal Group
- American Association for Thoracic Surgery
- International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery
- International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus General Thoracic Club
- Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons
- Royal College of Surgeons of England
- Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Research
Dr. Fernando’s research interests include engagement with clinical trials, particularly in evaluating therapeutic approaches for high-risk operable and medically inoperable patients with lung cancer.
He has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator for several multi-institutional trials evaluating sub-lobar resection, radio-frequency ablation, and SBRT for lung cancer.[1]
He has over 140 peer-reviewed publications, in addition to authoring several book chapters and abstracts. He has participated as a member of several guidelines committees for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and co-chaired an evidence-based guideline committee for the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery that evaluated the optimal approach to performing lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer.[1]
Dr. Fernando’s recent publications include:[2]
Outcomes following minimally invasive approaches. open extended lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer: a propensity-matched analysis of the National Cancer Database. Tangbing Chen, Binhao Huang, Luca Bertolaccini, Natalia Motas, Wentao Fang, Jie Zhang, Ernest G Chan, Hiran C Fernando, Panagiotis T Tasoudis, Arjun Pennathur>; Translational Lung Cancer Research. 2024 Feb 29
Comprehensive value implications of surgeon volume for lung cancer surgery: Use of an analytic framework within a regional health system. Maxwell, C., Bhat, A., Falls, S., Bigbee, M., Yin, Y., Chalikonda, S., Bartlett, D., Fernando, H., Allen, C.>; JTCVS Open. 2024 Feb 1
Intercostal Cryoablation During Video-Assisted Lung Resection Can Decrease Postoperative Opioid Use. Conor M Maxwell, Benny Weksler, Joseph Houda, Hiran C Fernando>; Innovations. 2023 Jul 17
