Heather Wachtel, MD, FACS
Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery
Accepting new patients
Sees patients age 15 and up
Penn Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery Perelman 3rd Floor
View 1 additional location
Make an appointmentCall 215-614-1963
Penn Medicine Provider

About me

  • Chief, Section of Endocrine Surgery
  • Co-Director, Endocrine Disease Team
  • Associate Program Director, Penn General Surgery Residency Program
  • Physician Liason, Abramson Cancer Center
  • Fellow, American College of Surgeons
  • Associate Professor of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Wachtel’s clinical practice specializes in thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgery. Dr. Wachtel is a board-certified surgeon and the co-Director of the Endocrine Disease Team of the Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center. She is one of the only providers in the region offering retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy, which is a minimally invasive adrenalectomy from a retroperitoneal approach. Dr. Wachtel also performs minimally invasive transabdominal adrenalectomy using robotic and laparoscopic techniques.

Education and training

  • Medical School: Yale University
  • Residency: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Fellowship: Massachusetts General Hospital

What my patients think about me

Average Rating

443 reviews

Comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Penn Medicine.

October 2025
very professional and easy to talk with.
October 2025
dr. heather wachtel was amazing - she answered all my questions with compassion and care. overall, i just loved the entire experience.
October 2025
dr wachtel provided a great evaluation of my situation and then excellent surgery. great follow up to her work
October 2025
she is amazing!

Insurance accepted

My Locations

Penn Medicine hospital privileges

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Penn Presbyterian Medical Center: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
Dr. Wachtel is a Penn Medicine physician.

Qualifications and experience

Treatments and Conditions

My research

Passman JE, Bader A, Mahmud N, Dumon KR, Wachtel H, Zheng F, Cohen JB. The Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Hypertension Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study , J Hum Hypertens: 2025

Mimouni E, Passman JE, Alexis M, Ginzberg SP, Fraker D, Kelz R, Wachtel H. A Clinical Risk Score for Thyroid Hormone Therapy After Partial Thyroidectomy , J Surg Res, 314: 2025,169-175

van Rooyen D, Bandulik S, Coon GA, Laukemper M, Kumar-Sinha C, Udager AM, Lerario AM, Lee C, Wachtel H, Cohen DL, Luther JM, Giordano TJ, Scholl UI, Butz F, Popp B, Turcu AF, Warth R, Rainey WE, Rege J. Somatic Mutations in MCOLN3 Are Associated With Aldosterone-Producing Adenomas , Hypertension: 2025

Hu AC, Passman JE, Wachtel H. Adrenal Pseudocyst Masquerading as Adrenocortical Carcinoma , Clin Med Insights Endocrinol Diabetes, 18: 2025,11795514251345267

Hu Y, Krumeich LN, Fisher SB, Javid M, Kuo JH, Wachtel H. Ablative Therapies in Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer , Ann Surg Oncol: 2025

Hu AC, Passman JE, Baloch Z, Wachtel H. Adrenalectomy Leading to Early Diagnosis of ALECT2 Amyloidosis , Sage Open Pathol, 18: 2025,30502098251331780

Passman JE, Kallan MJ, Roberson JL, Ginzberg SP, Amjad W, Soegaard Ballester JM, Tortorello G, Fraker D, Karakousis GC, Bartlett EK, Wachtel H. Contemporary trends in utilization of metastasectomy in the era of targeted and immunotherapies , Cancer, 131: 2025,e35664

Passman JE, Hwang J, Tang J, Fagen M, Epps M, Peifer M, Howell JT, Cohen JB, Delgado MK, Wachtel H, Herman DS. Active Choice Nudge to Increase Screening for Primary Aldosteronism in At-Risk Patients , J Am Coll Surg, 240: 2025,46-59

Owei L, Wachtel H. The Landmark Series: Evaluation and Management of Adrenal Incidentalomas , Ann Surg Oncol: 2025

Rosenthal JW, Finn CB, Hwang J, Sharpe JE, Williams ST, Krumeich LN, Fraker DL, Wachtel H, Kelz RR. Trends in use of outpatient minimally-invasive adrenalectomy: A population-based analysis , Am J Surg: 2025

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