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Who is a cardiothoracic surgeon?

Cardiothoracic surgery is concerned with the surgical treatment of organs inside the thorax and above the abdomen. It generally involves the treatment of conditions of the heart, esophagus, and lungs. The surgeon who follows this field of medicine is called the cardiothoracic surgeon.

What does a cardiothoracic surgeon do?

Cardiothoracic surgeons operate on conditions that occur in the organs inside the chest and in the bony structures that form the chest cavity. As well as performing surgery, they are involved in the treatment and management of the many different diseases within their specialties, such as lung cancer, tumor, and cysts, collapsed or infected lungs, and chest-wall deformities.

What is the difference between cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery?

Cardiovascular surgery focuses on the heart and great vessels while general thoracic surgery treats diseases of the lungs, esophagus, mediastinum, and chest walls. Cardiothoracic surgeons operate on the organs in the thorax which are heart, lungs, esophagus and  great vessels. 

What surgeries are performed by the cardiothoracic surgeon?

• Valve replacement
• Coronary artery graft
• Pneumonectomy
• Wedge resection
• Lobectomy
• Lung volume reduction surgery
• Lung cancer surgery

What are the subspecialties of cardiothoracic surgery?

The major subspecialties of cardiothoracic are cardiac, thoracic and congenital.

• Cardiac - This is concerned with the condition of heart and blood vessels.
• Thoracic- This is concerned with the conditions of the lungs, chest wall, esophagus, and diaphragm.
• Congenital –  It is the most demanding type of cardiothoracic surgery. It is practiced only by a small group of highly talented and specialized surgeons.