Advantages of Robot-assisted Techniques for Urologic Surgeries
Robotic surgery can decrease blood loss and patient pain, lead to a shorter recovery time than a traditional laparoscopic approach, and offers surgeons a shorter learning curve.
About Douglas Dahl, MD
Douglas M. Dahl, MD, FACS, is the Chief of Urologic Oncology and a urologic surgeon in the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Urology. He specializes in the treatment of cancer, minimally invasive surgery, and related research.
Dr. Dahl graduated from Princeton University with honors where he majored in molecular biology. His thesis project was to study genes related to the development of cancer. He then attended medical school at Yale University, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class as recognized by the AOA honor medical society. His internship and residency training were at Harvard. He spent two years in general surgery training at the Brigham and Women's hospital, Boston Children's hospital, and West Roxbury V.A. hospital. He then completed four years of training in Urology in the Harvard Longwood Area program in Urology. This program included training at the above mentioned hospitals and the Beth Israel Hospital of Boston. He served as a research fellow at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute where he studied the genetics of prostate cancer. He then moved to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center where he was the head of urologic laparoscopic surgery. It was there that many firsts in New England took place: The first laparoscopic kidney donor surgery for transplant, and the first laparoscopic radical prostatectomy surgery.
In 2001, he was recruited to start the program in laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. His contributions have been recognized by the hospital where he serves as Director of Robotic Surgery and Chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology. He has also been honored by Harvard Medical School with the title of Associate Professor of Surgery.
Departments, Centers, & Programs:
Clinical Interests:
- Brachytherapy (radioactive seeds)
- Kidney cancer
- Laparoscopic / Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Prostate cancer
- Robotic surgery
- Testicular, penile and genito-urinary cancers
Treats:
- Adult
Locations
Mass General Urology
165 Cambridge St.
7th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 857-238-3838
Medical Education
- MD, Yale University School of Medicine
- Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Fellowship, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
American Board Certifications
- Urology, American Board of Urology
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Aetna
- Beech Street
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare
- Cigna
- Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Coventry
- Fallon Health
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Humana
- Maine Community Health Options
- Mass General Brigham Health Plan
- MassHealth
- Medicaid CT
- Medicaid ME
- Medicaid NH
- Medicaid RI
- Medicaid VT
- Medicare
- Medicare ACO
- Multiplan
- Railroad Medicare
- Senior Whole Health
- TriCare
- Tufts Health Plan
- United Health Care
- Wellpoint
- WellSense
- WellSense NH
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Research
Dr. Dahl's current research focus is in two areas: novel techniques and technologies for minimally invasive Urologic surgery and clinical trials in Urologic oncology. He developed techniques in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy that are now in clinical use. He has published novel techniques in renal transplant and renal surgery, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, and laparoscopic hernia repair, and has overseen the design and engineering of devices for improving laparoscopic surgery. He has worked with several of the major equipment makers in developing and testing new equipment for minimally invasive surgery.
Dr. Dahl's current area of oncology research interest is in clinical trials in multimodality treatment of urologic malignancies. He served as an investigator for several national studies in treatment of bladder cancer, salvage surgery for radio-resistant prostate cancer, and a prostate cancer prevention trial. He served on the Human Subjects Committee charged with review and approval of all clinical investigations. His current role at Harvard and the Massachusetts General Hospital, includes serving as the co-Principal Investigator of one of five sections of the Harvard SPORE grant studying renal cell carcinoma serum and tissue markers. He is the national Urology chair for two national studies under the auspices of the RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group).
Publications
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Recent Publications:
- Transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in patients after laparoscopic prosthetic mesh inguinal herniorrhaphy. Brown JA, Dahl DM. Urology. 2004 Feb;63(2):380-2.
- Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and body mass index: an assessment of 151 sequential cases. Brown JA, Rodin DM, Lee B, Dahl DM. J Urol. 2005 Feb;173(2):442-5.
- Isolation and characterization of circulating tumor cells from patients with localized and metastatic prostate cancer. Stott SL,et al, Dahl DM, Wu CL,et al Sci Transl Med. 2010 Mar 31;2(25):25ra23.
- A prospective study of symptom distress and return to baseline function after open versus laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Dahl DM, Barry MJ, McGovern FJ, Chang Y, Walker-Corkery E, McDougal WS.J Urol. 2009 Sep;182(3):956-65. Epub 2009 Jul 17.
- Lymphotropic nanoparticle-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (LNMRI) identifies occult lymph node metastases in prostate cancer patients prior to salvage radiation therapy. Ross RW, Zietman AL, Xie W, Coen JJ, Dahl DM, Shipley WU, et al.M.Clin Imaging. 2009 Jul-Aug;33(4):301-5.
- Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair during laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Lee BC, Rodin DM, Shah KK, Dahl DM. BJU Int. 2007 Mar;99(3):637-9.
- The results of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy for recurrence after treatment with bacillus Calmette-Guérin for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: is immediate cystectomy always necessary? Wo JY, Shipley WU, Dahl DM, Coen JJ, Heney NM, Kaufman DS, Zietman AL. BJU Int. 2009 Jul;104(2):179-83. Epub 2008 Dec 23.
Dr. Dahl is amazing both in terms of his professionalism, his insight into the medical and surgical issues and his warm, caring nature.
Easy to talk to. Explained things well. I felt I was in good hands.
I highly recommend seeing Dr. Dahl, he provided A+ care in all aspects and it was relieving to know I was in good hands under his care.
Appreciate Dr. Dahl's professionalism.
top Dr with very good professional skills
Dr Dahl has been my urologist for 2 1/2 years. He is always so kind and supportive. He is a wonderful doctor!
Dr. Dahl is extremely knowledgeable and has been consistent in the guidance he has provided to me over the past 3 years. This has helped me to arrive at a decision for surgery and given me confidence that it is the right decision at the right time.
This was my first meeting with Dr. Dahl. It was a consultation to discuss potential treatments. He made me feel very comfortable and he provided all the information that I was looking for to help me make the best decision for me.
Everyone was so helpful and made me feel so comfortable about my situation. I really left feeling like I am in good hands. Dr. Dahl and everyone in his office really seem to care.
Dr Dahl is great, he explains everything