Thoracic Surgery - Section Overview

Thoracic Surgery involves a wide spectrum of diseases, ranging from benign processes to malignant neoplasms, of the trachea, lung, esophagus, chest wall and diaphragm. In the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia, we take a multi-disciplinary approach to these problems.

Lung cancer remains one of the most common types of cancers in men and women, and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. While most lung cancers are found in later stages, patients with cancers detected early and treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy have the best outcomes. Proper staging is critical to improving results. The department is committed to using the latest technologies and minimally invasive techniques to stage and treat these patients. Endoscopic ultrasound and video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) biopsies and resections are available here. In addition, we have a special area of interest in tracheal resection for benign and malignant diseases, bronchial sleeve resections, and chest wall resection with reconstruction. We also have the area’s only multi-disciplinary thoracic tumor board.

We also are committed to providing the most current care in benign and malignant esophageal pathologies. Swallowing problems such as advanced gastroesophageal reflux disease with hiatal hernias and achalasia can all be treated by surgery with significant improvement in patient symptoms, including patients with failed previous anti-reflux surgeries. We provide surgical repair of diaphragmatic hernias and resection of benign esophageal masses. In addition, many of these problems can be treated with minimally invasive techniques, including laparoscopy and thoracoscopy. Surgery for esophageal cancer and malignancies of the gastroesophageal junction and gastric cardia can be challenging, but at the Medical College of Georgia, we are dedicated to improving outcomes in these patients

In addition, we evaluate and treat patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with lung volume reduction surgery, offer minimally invasive resection of thymomas and myasthenia gravis, treatment of pleural effusions and empyems, and evaluation of mediastinal masses. We also treat patients with hyperhidrosis (excessive palmar sweating) using minimally invasive techniques.