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J. Grant Thomson, MD, FACS, MSc

Professor of Surgery (Plastic)
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Additional Titles

Director, Yale Hand & Microsurgery Program

Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health

Contact Info

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

PO Box 208041

New Haven, CT 06520-8041

United States

About

Titles

Professor of Surgery (Plastic)

Director, Yale Hand & Microsurgery Program; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health

Biography

Dr. J. Grant Thomson, a Board-Certified Hand Surgeon and a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, is deeply interested in helping children and adults with congenital and acquired hand and upper extremity issues, and individuals whose bodies have been changed by cancer treatment. Dr. Thomson earned his medical degree from McGill University in 1983. He specializes in hand, wrist, and upper extremity surgery.

Dr. Thomson's special interests include endoscopic carpal tunnel release, trigger finger treatment, Dupuytren’s contracture, arthritic hand reconstruction, brachial plexus reconstruction, peripheral nerve surgery, occupational disorders of the upper extremity, and trauma-related pain. His clinical practice also includes reconstructive microsurgery. He uses his expertise to reach across borders to children and adults in developing countries.

Since 1998, Dr. Thomson has been leading groups of professionals on volunteer surgical expeditions, and these teams have affected the lives of over 800 individuals. His research interests include flap physiology, microsurgery, tendon repair, and breast reconstruction.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Fellow
Washington University/Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, MO (1991)
Resident
McGill University/Montreal General Hospital, Canada (1990)
Resident
Montreal General Hospital, Canada (1988)
MSc
Mc Gill University, Experimental Surgery (1988)
Research Fellow
Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada (1985)
MD
McGill University (1983)

Research

Overview

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Finger Injuries; Hand; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Osteoarthritis; Tendinopathy; Tendon Injuries; Thumb; Wrist

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of J. Grant Thomson's published research.

Publications

2022

2021

2020

2018

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    Xiangya Medicine

  • activity

    Hand Help, Inc

  • activity

    Volunteer Hand Surgery

  • honor

    Best Doctors in America

  • activity

    American Association of Plastic Surgeons

Clinical Care

Overview

James Grant Thomson, MD, director of Yale Medicine Hand & Microsurgery, is a plastic surgeon who specializes in repairing the arms, hands and wrists for adults and children. He also performs surgeries for people whose bodies have been changed by cancer treatment.

Dr. Thomson is skilled in microsurgery—delicate operations performed under magnification using small, specialized instruments. But he says one of the most important advances in hand surgery is the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome using endoscopic surgery. This surgery involves making a small incision or two in the skin of the wrist, inserting a thin tube with a tiny camera and instruments at the tip, and using the tool to cut the ligament that’s causing the symptoms. “We can perform a short operation, and their symptoms go away immediately. People can get back to using their hands,” Dr. Thomson says.

“There’s a lot of artistry to what plastic surgeons do,” says Dr. Thomson, who is a professor of plastic surgery at Yale School of Medicine. In recent years, he points out, science has been providing more evidence-based approaches. “So we are also innovators and problem solvers,” he says. Through his research, Dr. Thomson has been improving techniques in microsurgery and tendon repair, among other areas.

“Our patients are always challenging us to come up with the best solutions,” he says. “Our medical residents and medical students are challenging us to be on the cutting edge in everything we do. That’s what makes it exciting to be here.”

A physics major in college, Dr. Thomson chose to go into medicine after deciding it was the best way to combine his passion for science with his interest in helping people. He is the founder of a non-profit program called Hand Help, and he has been leading teams of medical professionals on volunteer surgical expeditions to Latin America since 1998. His teams have made a difference in the lives of more than 800 people in developing countries.

Clinical Specialties

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; Pediatric Surgery; Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Microvascular Hand Surgery

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Hand Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Plastic Surgery
    Original Certification Date
    2015
  • Plastic Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Plastic Surgery
    Latest Certification Date
    2015
    Original Certification Date
    1995

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Appointment Number
Mailing Address

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

PO Box 208041

New Haven, CT 06520-8041

United States

Administrative Support

Locations

  • Patient Care Locations

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