What is Thoracic Surgery?
Thoracic surgery is a surgical specialty which is focused on procedures involving the chest, more formally known as the thorax. It may also be known as cardiothoracic surgery; cardiothoracic surgeons focus on heart and lung surgery in particular. This surgical specialty can be highly competitive and extremely challenging, but many thoracic surgeons also say that it is extremely rewarding. In addition to working in a medical practice, a thoracic surgeon can also work in research, developing new techniques and technologies to improve his or her medical field. In order to become a thoracic surgeon, a doctor must complete medical school and a residency in general surgery, followed by a fellowship in thoracic or cardiothoracic surgery. In some countries, cardiac surgery is an entirely separate discipline with its own medical specialists, while in the United States, cardiac surgery is considered a branch of thoracic surgery. If a thoracic surgeon wants to choose a subspecialty, an additional
Thoracic surgery is sometimes referred to as cardiothoracic surgery and is operatively the treatment of diseases and injuries of the heart, lungs, mediastinum, esophagus, chest wall, diaphragm, and great vessels. This residency education program encompasses the operative, perioperative, and critical care of patients with pathologic conditions within the chest. This includes the surgical care of coronary artery disease; cancers of the lung, esophagus, and chest wall; abnormalities of the great vessels and heart valves; congenital anomalies of the chest and heart; tumors of the mediastinum; diseases of the diaphragm; and management of chest injuries. Also included are congenital and acquired lesions (including infections, trauma, tumors, and metabolic disorders) of both the heart and blood vessels in the thorax, as well as diseases involving the lungs, pleura, chest wall, mediastinum, esophagus, and diaphragm. In addition, the ability to establish a precise diagnosis, an essential step t
Thoracic surgery, or cardiothoracic surgery, is performed in the thorax, or chest area. A thoracic or cardiothoracic surgeon may perform surgery on the heart, lungs, valves or other organ in the thorax area. Surgeries performed in the thorax area include: lung surgery, heart surgery (coronary artery bypass), valve replacement, lung transplantation or heart transplantation.
Thoracic surgery is the practice of medicine directed toward the surgical treatment of diseases of the chest including cancers of the lung, esophagus, and chest wall; birth defects of the chest; and tumors in the organs contained in the chest cavity. What is the Thorax? The word thoracic is the adjective form of the noun “thorax.” The word thorax derives from the Greek and Latin words for breastplate or chest. The term thorax refers to the area of the human body that is located between the neck and the abdomen. The thorax contains the heart, lungs, esophagus and great vessels surrounded by the breastbone or sternum in front, the ribs on each side, and the vertebral column in the back. How Much Training Does a Thoracic Surgeon Receive? Thoracic surgeons are among the most highly educated specialists.
Thoracic surgery is the practice of medicine directed toward the surgical treatment of diseases of the chest including coronary artery disease; cancers of the lung, esophagus, and chest wall; abnormalities of the great vessels and heart valves; birth defects of the chest and heart; tumors in the organs contained in the chest cavity; and transplantation of the heart and lungs.
