Effective Treatment
Backed By Science
Richard J. Harding, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a board-certified General Surgeon and has been in private practice; performing general surgery procedures since 1995. Dr. Harding has more than 25 years of experience in using minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Harding’s skill at small incision surgery and his high success rate, attract patients not only throughout Arizona, but from neighboring Utah, Nevada and New Mexico, as well as California, Canada, and Mexico.
Endocrine Surgeon & General Surgeon
Medical Director of TNTC
Associate Clinical Professor in Surgery Creighton University School of Medicine
Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery University of Arizona College of Medicine
Fellow American College of Surgeons
Member American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
Dr. Harding utilizes the most modern surgical techniques for general surgery which yields excellent results with shorter hospital recovery. This includes operations utilizing advanced laparoscopic surgery and robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery.
Dr. Harding has dedicated a large part of his practice to endocrine surgery. He has performed over 1900 endocrine operations within the last 5 years, for adrenal, thyroid and parathyroid conditions. He is active in the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons. He is the first surgeon in the Southwest to perform a Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy, which has the benefit of leaving no visible surgical scar. He is very familiar with the latest treatment guidelines for both thyroid and parathyroid diseases. He now also performs a Laparoscopic posterior adrenalectomy which significantly decreases recovery time for adrenal surgery conditions. For patients’ convenience, many diagnostic tests and minor procedures can be performed in his office, including diagnostic ultrasound, ultrasound lymph node mapping, and ultrasound guided thyroid nodule biopsies.
Preservation of normal thyroid function is paramount even if a patient has large and symptomatic thyroid nodules. Large thyroid nodules cause symptoms from compression of adjacent tissue. A non- surgical alternative to thyroidectomy and radio- iodine ablation is now available for effective treatment of large benign nodules. With RFA, tissue volume reduction and symptom relief are accomplished through pinhole incisions with long term protection of normal thyroid function. Symptomatic patients and patients with visible enlargement are candidates for this innovative therapy.