Medical Specialist: Thoracic S... Health Article

Medical Specialist: Thoracic Surgery

Thoracic surgery is one of 24 medical specialties recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) in which physicians can pursue additional training and education to become Board Certified. Thoracic surgeons treat injuries and diseases of the chest, heart, lungs, diaphragm, great vessels and esophagus. Upon completion of medical school, a doctor enters a thoracic surgery residency for two to three years. The thoracic surgeon is an expert in:

Associated Diseases

• Coronary-artery-bypass graft (CABG)
• Cardiopulmonary-transplant surgery
• Cardiac-valve surgery
• Congenital-heart defects
• Thoracic-outlet syndrome
• Brachial-plexus syndrome
• Lung cancer

Reference:

American Association for Thoracic Surgery 2008.