Patient Care — General Thoracic Surgery
Lung cancer resections, pneumoreduction (emphysema) surgery, antireflux (heartburn) surgery, esophageal cancer surgery, reconstructive swallowing surgery): Noncardiac thoracic surgery encompasses all aspects of thoracic surgery dealing with the lungs, esophagus, mediastinum (center part of the chest), and chest wall. Patients with lung cancer, the number one cancer killer for both men and women in the United States, are treated in a multidisciplinary fashion at the Cancer Research and Treatment Center. This clinic, which is close to University Hospital, has been developed and is staffed by Scott Johnson, MD, as well as numerous medical oncologists and radiation oncologists specializing in the treatment of all thoracic oncologic (i.e., cancer) problems.
Although emphasis is on the multidisciplinary treatment of patients with lung cancer, patients with other forms of thoracic cancer such as esophageal cancer, chest wall cancer, and mediastinal tumors are also treated. Benign (noncancerous) problems of the thorax, such as heartburn of the esophagus, pneumoreduction (emphysema surgery), and chest wall deformities are also worked-up and treated appropriately with surgery if indicated. An esophageal motility and pH laboratory staffed by the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery is available for patient referrals and evaluates patients with severe heartburn who may be considering antireflux surgery. A weekly multidisciplinary conference devoted to the treatment of both benign and malignant noncardiac thoracic problems has evolved and is well attended by thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, pulmonologists, and radiation oncologists. In summary, patients presenting to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery with a noncardiac thoracic surgical problem can expect to be cared for by an experienced, multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, and clinics.
Patient Information: Lung Cancer | Esophageal Cancer | VATS
More about Scott Johnson, MD and Daniel DeArmond, MD.
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