Alan Dackiw, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.

Meet Dr. Dackiw

World-Renowned Expert in Endocrine Surgery and Surgical Oncology

One of a small, select group of physicians trained in both endocrine surgery and surgical oncology, Alan Dackiw, M.D., Ph.D. FACS, is at the forefront of innovations to treat malignant and benign disorders of the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, and endocrine pancreas. Dr. Dackiw has gained international recognition for his expertise in minimally invasive surgery for hyperparathyroidism and thyroid cancers, as well as other endocrine conditions.

He was among the first surgeons in the world to use highly advanced intraoperative nerve monitoring to protect the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the vocal nerves when operating in the neck. This technology provides immediate feedback and warning to surgeons during a procedure, before permanent nerve injury has occurred. The result is increased safety and improved outcomes – including protecting a patient’s vocal cords and ability to speak following complex surgeries such as those to remove tumors and nodules in the neck.

An experienced surgeon, Dr. Dackiw has performed more than 3,000 procedures. He’s helped patients with disorders ranging from Graves’ disease and Cushing syndrome to hyperparathyroidism and thyroid cancer.

“Minimally invasive procedures are one of the most important advancements in endocrine surgery for patients,” Dr. Dackiw says. “We’re able to be even more meticulous in removing tumors and treating exceptionally small areas in the neck or for removing adrenal tumors. The result is improved outcomes and more rapid recovery times.

“As an example, in the past, most adrenal operations required relatively large midline or subcostal incisions. But now, we can achieve excellent results using minimally invasive surgery, with incisions that are less than a couple of inches wide.”

Dr. Dackiw has received awards from the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the Maryland General Assembly and serves on several institutional and national educational and practice committees.

In addition, he has served on the editorial board of the Annals of Surgical Oncology, the most prestigious journal in his field. He also served as the editor for the Endocrine Surgery section of the American College of Surgeons Web portal and has served as editor for the Endocrine Tumor series in the journal Current Treatment Options in Oncology. Additionally, he has served on the Executive Council of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons.

“I do the best technical operation that I can for every patient; however, I am also committed to being available and accessible to my patients and their families,” he says. “I try to make the whole surgical experience as easy as possible for them.”