Thoracic Surgery

The healthcare professionals of the Section of Thoracic Surgery offer comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic care for cancerous and non-cancerous diseases of the airway, blood vessels, chest wall, esophagus, heart, lungs, and mediastinum.

Lung Cancer Podcast

Thoracic Surgery procedures include:

Airway procedures

• Bronchoscopic examination/bronchoscopy
• Tracheal stent placement
• Tracheal tumor laser ablation and resection

Chest wall procedures

• Biopsies - needle and open
• Resection and reconstruction
  • rotation of muscle flaps
  • prosthetics placement

Esophageal procedures

For diseases including cancer

• Endoscopic management of obstructions
• laser removal
• stent placement
• Functional reconstruction and restoration (swallowing)
• Resection

Lung procedures

For diseases including cancer, emphysema and pulmonary hypertension

• Bronchoscopy
• Lung-sparing surgery
• Mediastinoscopy 
• Minimally-invasive thoracic surgery (Click to hear Dr. Rudy Lackner discuss minimally invasive techniques to treat lung cancer.)

Multidisciplinary thoracic oncology program

In the multidisciplinary thoracic oncology program, thoracic surgeons conference with medical and radiation oncologists to determine an individualized course of treatment best suited for each cancer patient.

Robotic (video-assisted) surgery

• Less blood loss
• Less recuperation time
• Minimally invasive

Sympathetic nerve procedures

For hyperhydrosis/excessive sweating

• Sympathectomy/thorascopic division of the nerves