What is 'thoracic surgery'?

What is 'thoracic surgery'?

Jay M. Lee (Surgical Director, Thoracic Oncology Program, UCLA) gives expert video advice on: How should I go about finding a lung surgeon?; In which cases do doctors only use surgery to treat lung cancer? and more...

Thoracic surgery is surgery that is focused in the chest itself. Within thoracic surgery there are heart surgeons, cardiac surgeons. There are congenital heart surgeons that are focused on diseases of the heart in children and general thoracic surgeons who are focused in the chest, and the lungs and the esophagus predominantly. The general thoracic surgeons are the ones who are ideally suited and have the most expertise with lung cancer management.