Thoracic Surgery

Surgical procedures are performed to diagnose, biopsy, stage, or treat a benign or cancerous process located in the chest.

Surgery may be curative or it may be done to minimize symptoms of advanced disease and to improve the quality of life. It may be reconstructive or rehabilitative to repair an anatomic defect such as a fistula or an injured trachea.

Massachusetts General Hospital thoracic surgeons are experts in repairs of problems located in the trachea, chest wall and diaphragm whether congenital or due to infection or trauma.

Major Surgical Procedures

Major surgical procedures include:

• Airway / Tracheal Surgery
• Emphysema Surgery
• Lung cancer surgery
• Lung transplantation
• Surgery to remove tumors located in the chest and the tissue of the lungs, the esophagus and the mediastinum, such as thymomas
• Surgery of the chest wall with reconstruction as appropriate
• Surgery of the thymus -- and much more

We're also leading experts in thoracoscopic surgery (also referred to as VATS, or video-assisted thoracic surgery). Vats uses a video camera to biopsy or remove small portions of lung tissue that may contain tumor.

Minor Surgical Procedures

Minor surgical procedures we offer include:

• Bronchoscopy (look into bronchial tubes of lung using a lighted instrument)
• Esophagoscopy (look into esophagus using a lighted instrument)
• Mediastinoscopy (look into middle of chest to biopsy lymph nodes),
• Dilatations of esophagus or bronchial tubes,
• Laser surgery to remove tumors of the trachea
• Brachytherapy of the bronchial tubes to treat lung cancer
• Photodynamic therapy of the bronchial tubes to treat lung cancer

Other surgical procedures include:

• Surgeries for thoracic outlet syndrome
• Surgery for hyperhidrosis
• Surgery to repair other benign esophageal problems