Steven J. Fishman, MD — Pediatric Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital

Who are you, in one plain sentence?

Dr. Steven J. Fishman is Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair of Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, Robert E. Gross Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, co-founder and Co-Director of the Vascular Anomalies Center, Past President of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies, and — alongside Dr. Alomari and Dr. Mulliken — one of the architects of the modern multidisciplinary approach to vascular anomaly care.

What is your specialty within vascular anomalies?

Pediatric surgery with a particular focus on the most complex presentations in this field: visceral vascular anomalies (those involving internal organs), thoracic duct anomalies and lymphatic reconstruction, and resection or debulking of vascular malformations and associated overgrown tissues of the torso, genitalia, neck, and extremities. Dr. Fishman has developed innovative operative procedures specifically for vascular anomalies — including modified endorectal pull-through techniques for colorectal venous malformations and lymphangiographic-guided thoracic duct reconstruction. These are procedures that virtually no other pediatric surgeon performs. Worth understanding: Dr. Fishman’s surgical scope within this field addresses presentations that most pediatric surgeons have never encountered.

Where do you practice and how do I reach you?

Boston Children’s Hospital · Department of Surgery · 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. Contact through the VAC: 617-355-5226 or vascular@childrens.harvard.edu. Remote case review available through the VAC weekly conference. Worth noting: as Surgeon-in-Chief, Dr. Fishman’s direct surgical schedule is dedicated to the most complex cases — intake through the broader VAC team is typically the appropriate first step.

What makes you notable in this field?

The co-founding of the Vascular Anomalies Center at Boston Children’s — the program that became the model for every dedicated VA center that followed — is Dr. Fishman’s most lasting contribution. The Hepatic Hemangioma Registry he created and maintains is the global data resource for one of the rarest presentations in pediatric vascular anomaly care. Over 200 scientific publications and two textbooks, including the comprehensive reference work with Mulliken and Burrows, establish the intellectual foundation of the field. The Surgeon-in-Chief role at the most prominent children’s hospital in the United States signals institutional trust that is itself a form of credential. We found in our community’s experience that families who have exhausted other options for complex visceral or thoracic duct presentations often reach Dr. Fishman as the practitioner who has seen their condition before.

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In the Published Record

Dr. Fishman obtained his BS and MD at Northwestern University and completed training in General Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Pediatric Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital. He co-founded the Vascular Anomalies Center at Boston Children’s and has served as its Co-Director since its establishment. He served as Past President of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies and has authored more than 200 scientific publications, chapters, and two books. He has held multiple leadership roles at Boston Children’s beyond surgery, including President of the Physicians’ Organization and Member of the Board of Trustees. Active publications in 2024–2025 confirm continued research engagement including work on natural history of congenital hepatic hemangiomas and RASA1-related lymphatic anomalies.

Source: childrenshospital.org/steven-j-fishman-md · childrenshospital.org/services/vac/meet-our-team · research.childrenshospital.org/researchers/steven-j-fishman · globalhealth.childrenshospital.org/steven-j-fishman-md. Verified: July 2026.

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Practitioner Profile

Name / Credentials	Steven J. Fishman, MD
Primary Specialty	Pediatric Surgery — Vascular Anomalies · Visceral · Thoracic Duct
Current Title	Surgeon-in-Chief · Chief, Department of Surgery · Stuart and Jane Weitzman Family Chair in Surgery · Co-Director, Vascular Anomalies Center · Robert E. Gross Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Affiliation	Boston Children’s Hospital · prov:000001
Contact	617-355-5226 · vascular@childrens.harvard.edu
Training	BS/MD: Northwestern University · General Surgery: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania · Pediatric Surgery: Boston Children’s Hospital
Published Record	200+ publications · 2 books including Fishman/Mulliken/Burrows Vascular Anomalies textbook · Hepatic Hemangioma Registry (international)
Leadership	Past President, ISSVA · Boston Children’s Physicians’ Organization President · Board of Trustees member
Notable Focus	Visceral vascular anomalies · Thoracic duct anomalies and lymphatic reconstruction · Colorectal venous malformations
Provider Affiliation	prov:000001 | Boston Children’s Hospital Vascular Anomalies Center

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Verification & Catalog Status