Our Advanced Thoracic Procedures

Each year, more than a million thoracic (chest) surgical procedures are performed in the United States for heart and lung disease, muscle and nerve disorders, ulcers and other serious illnesses.

We offer Advanced, Minimally Invasive Treatments for Thoracic Conditions

Although surgery may be the best, or only way to treat the disease, patients can sometimes face a long and difficult recovery because traditional "open" thoracic surgery is highly invasive. In most cases, surgeons must make a long incision through chest muscles and then cut or spread the patient's ribs to reach the diseased area. As a result, patients may spend up to a week in the hospital and face up to four to six weeks of recovery at home.

Today, advanced surgical techniques are enabling surgeons to perform many common thoracic procedures in a minimally invasive manner. Depending on the type of procedure, most patients do not need intensive care, can leave the hospital in 1 to 3 days and, in many cases, are back to normal activities within a week.

Video-Assisted Lung and Chest Surgery (VATS)

Video-assisted thoracic surgery is a less invasive procedure for treating early stage lung cancer. A tiny video camera can be placed through a small hole in the chest to help the surgeon see the tumor. Only small incisions are needed, so there is a little less pain after the surgery. Most experts recommend that only tumors smaller than 4 to 5 cm (about 2 inches) be treated this way. The cure rate after this surgery seems to be the same as with older techniques. It is important, though, that the surgeon performing this procedure be experienced since it requires more technical skill than the standard surgery.

Thoracic Procedures

• Minimally invasive thoracic surgery
• Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)
• Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery
• Lung biopsy
• Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS)
• Minimally invasive treatment of pneumothorax and lung blebs
• Pleuradesis for recurrent effusions
• Surgical resection of mediastinal tumors/thymoma/thymectomy
• Thymectomy for myasthenia gravis
• Hyperhidrosis sympathotomy
• Interventional bronchoscopy
• Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy
• Photodynamic therapy of the airway

Thoracic Conditions Treated

• Lung cancer treatment
• Benign and malignant tumors in the chest
• Mediastinal tumors
• Thymoma
• Benign and malignant pleural effusion
• Emphysema/bullous lung disease
• Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
• Empyema
• Hyperhidrosis