For colleagues

Leadership, research & surgical education

Elliot Servais, MD, FACS · Chair, Department of Surgery, Lahey Clinic
Professor of Surgery, UMass Chan Medical School.

Dr. Servais maintains an active thoracic and esophageal surgical practice alongside his departmental, research, and educational responsibilities.

Professional background

Surgical and academic leadership

Chair, Department of Surgery
Lahey Clinic

Elliot Servais, MD, FACS, leads Lahey Clinic’s Department of Surgery and is Professor of Surgery at UMass Chan Medical School. Alongside his leadership responsibilities, his clinical practice focuses on thoracic oncology, esophageal disease, and minimally invasive surgery.

Lahey Clinic’s Department Chair announcement

An overview of Dr. Servais’s clinical work, academic contributions, and surgical leadership.

Dr. Elliot Servais presenting at a surgical education meeting

Clinical leadership

Departmental responsibilities

As department chair, his responsibilities include clinical programs, academic priorities, and surgical operations, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary care.

Quality & innovation

Quality and surgical technology

Dr. Servais also serves as Director of Robotic Thoracic Surgery at Lahey Clinic. His previous leadership roles include Vice Chair of Quality and Safety and Chair of the Robotic Surgery Committee.

National service

Lung cancer screening & research leadership

Dr. Servais chairs the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Lung Cancer Screening Task Force. He also serves as Co-Chair of the STS Thoracic Surgery Research Task Force.

STS statement on screening misinformation

Academic service

Editorial service and professional leadership

Dr. Servais serves as an Associate Editor for The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and on the editorial board of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery[1]. He reviews manuscripts for multiple leading journals, holds leadership roles within the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and teaches and mentors surgeons.[2][3]

Within Lahey Clinic and the broader Beth Israel Lahey Health system, his service has included leadership in perioperative excellence, quality and safety, robotic and digital surgery governance, and multidisciplinary lung and esophageal cancer care.

Board certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery

Fellow, American College of Surgeons

Elected member, American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Education & training

Medical educationBoston University
School of Medicine
Highly competitive seven-year BA/MD program
summa cum laude
General surgeryNewYork-Presbyterian /
Weill Cornell
Thoracic oncology researchMemorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center
Thoracic surgery fellowshipBrigham and Women’s Hospital - Harvard Medical School

For colleagues

Publications and academic work

Dr. Servais’s academic work addresses clinical decisions in thoracic surgery, access to lung cancer care, and the training and professional experience of surgeons. Selected contributions and publications are outlined below.

View full CV PDF Download CV PDF All publications PubMed

National clinical guidance

Contributing to standards of care and training

Dr. Servais is first author of the STS expert consensus document on interventions for screen-detected lung nodules. He is also a coauthor of the STS consensus on a national framework for robotic thoracic surgery training. These publications address clinical decision-making and how surgeons learn and assess operative skills.

Surgical outcomes

Comparing operative approaches and examining how surgical decisions relate to outcomes, including minimally invasive lung surgery.

Segmentectomy research

Screening, access & equity

Lung cancer screening, communication of evidence, and barriers to accessing care and sharing medical imaging.

Imaging access and equity

Education & surgeon well-being

Robotic surgery training, mentorship, and the experiences of cardiothoracic surgery trainees, including work-life balance.

Mentorship and trainee experience

Selected publications

2026Expert consensus

STS guidance for screen-detected lung nodules

A framework for decisions about interventions after lung cancer screening.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery

2025Outcomes research

Comparing surgical approaches to lung segmentectomy

A study of trends and outcomes in surgery that removes a defined portion of the lung.

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

2025Surgical education

A framework for training in robotic thoracic surgery

STS consensus recommendations for a national curriculum, assessment, and feedback.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery

For referring clinicians

Consultations and second opinions

Referrals include lung nodules and lung cancer, esophageal disease, thoracic outlet syndrome, and other thoracic conditions. Consultations can address diagnosis, surgical options, or a second opinion on a proposed treatment plan.

Clinical areas of care