Cardiothoracic surgery is an umbrella term that includes surgical procedures performed on the chest (thorax), including the heart, lungs, esophagus and more. A cardiothoracic surgeon takes on two specialties at once – cardiac surgery (heart surgery) and thoracic surgery (surgery on chest organs).
At Beaumont, our cardiothoracic surgical specialists throughout Southeast Michigan and Metro Detroit evaluate, diagnose and treat diseases and conditions that affect the chest organs. When surgery is necessary, we offer a long list of cardiothoracic surgery options.
Conditions cardiothoracic surgeons treat
Cardiothoracic surgeons treat a long list of conditions that affect the organs of the chest. Some of those conditions are:
- Lung disease
- COPD (congestive obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Emphysema
- Lung cancer
- Asthma
- Heart disease and conditions
- Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH)
- Esophageal disease
- Benign esophageal disease
- Heller myotomy for achalasia
- Nissen fundoplication
- Hiatal hernia for GERD
- Achalasia
- Esophageal diverticular disease
- Benign esophageal strictures
- Esophageal cancer
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Aortic dissections
- Thoracic aortic aneurysms
- Marfan syndrome
- Pectus excavatum
- Myasthenia gravis
- Hyperhidrosis
- Mediastinal tumors
- Thoracic trauma
- Tracheal stenosis
- Tracheobronchial cancer
Procedures cardiothoracic surgeons perform
At Beaumont hospitals, our cardiothoracic surgeons perform a wide variety of procedures to treat conditions related to the heart, lungs, and other chest organs. Some of the procedures are:
- Heart surgery (open-heart surgery and minimally invasive heart surgery)
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and other open-heart surgeries
- Minimally invasive endoscopic coronary artery bypass surgery
- Transmyocardial laser revascularization
- Valve repair and replacement
- Aortic aneurysm repair
- Implantation of a ventricular assist device (VAD)
- Pacemaker implantation
- Maze procedure
- Heart transplantation
- Heart-lung transplantation
- Left ventricle restoration (Dor procedures)
- Congenital heart surgery
- Radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation
- TAVR/TAVI
- Lung surgery
- Lung cancer surgery
- Limited resection for lung cancer
- Segmentectomy
- Sleeve resection
- Thoracoscopic resection
- Lobectomy
- Robotic lingulectomy
- Thoracoscopic segmentectomy
- Lung transplantation
- Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS)
- Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE)
- Heart-lung transplantation
- General thoracic surgery
- Transcervical thymectomy
- Esophageal cancer surgery
- Transhiatal resection
- Transthoracic resection
- Minimally invasive resection
- Laparoscopic esophagus repair for benign esophageal conditions
- Airway stent placement
- Tracheal resection
- Bronchoplasty
- Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) sympathectomy
- Ravitch procedure to treat pectus excavatum
- Bronchial thermoplasty
Cardiothoracic specialists
Cardiothoracic surgeons are doctors who specialize in surgical treatment of the chest organs, including the heart, lungs, esophagus and more. Within the cardiothoracic specialty, there may be cardiovascular surgeons, cardiac surgeons (heart surgeons), congenital heart surgeons and thoracic surgeons.
Some cardiothoracic surgeons choose to further specialize, which is called super-specializing. Some super-specializations include adult cardiac surgery, congenital surgery, and thoracic surgery. Congenital heart surgeons, for example, must undergo an additional one-year fellowship beyond their residencies and fellowships to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Here are some super-specialties and their titles:
- Adult heart surgery (adult cardiac surgeons)
- Correcting heart defects (congenital surgeons)
- Lung and esophageal surgery (thoracic surgeons)
The Beaumont Difference
Beaumont is a world leader in heart innovation. Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital has been ranked as one of the top cardiac and heart surgery programs in the nation for 22 consecutive years. Our cardiothoracic teams provide the most advanced treatment options, including heart and lung transplantation. We have specialized heart care centers throughout Metro Detroit that offer technologies to perform specialized cardiothoracic treatment and procedures.
Our cardiothoracic surgeons will work with you to ensure you get the care you need from a multidisciplinary team of experts.
Learn more about our heart centers and clinics, like the Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital Ernst Cardiovascular Center, Atrial Fibrillation Clinics, Valve Clinics, the Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center, and the Center for Heart and Vascular Services, and find out why more patients in Southeast Michigan prefer Beaumont for heart care.
Start your search at Beaumont. Find a Beaumont cardiothoracic surgeon near you.