Cardiothoracic Surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery, also known as thoracic surgery, involves the surgical treatment of organs inside the thoracic cavity. It generally refers to procedures of the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest.  Cardiothoracic surgery may be used to treat a wide range of conditions, from heart failure and pulmonary embolism to esophageal cancer.

As part of the Summa Health Heart and Vascular Institute, our board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons perform a breadth of chest surgeries, including complex and advanced cases. The surgeries are broadly divided into two categories: adult cardiac surgery and general thoracic surgery. 

Adult Cardiac Surgery

Summa Health cardiothoracic surgeons specialize in the surgical treatment of heart and aortic disease using a team-based approach. Expertise involves, but not limited to:

• Coronary artery bypass (for blocked heart arteries)
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (no chest incisions)
• Open heart valve (aortic, mitral, tricuspid) surgeries
• Atrial fibrillation/ablation surgeries 
• Pericardial surgery
• Ascending aortic surgery
• Heart trauma surgery
• Heart tumor removal
• Pulmonary embolism surgery
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) procedures and management 

General Thoracic Surgery

Our expertise also includes non-heart chest surgeries and abdominal surgeries. A subset of the procedures below are done via the minimally invasive approach.

• Lung nodules and cancer
• Esophageal surgery: cancer, benign, perforations
• Mediastinal tumors
• Chest wall surgery: benign and malignant
• Chest infections
• Pleural disease (including mesothelioma)
• Sternal plating
• Esophageal and airway stenting
• Upper abdominal: achalasia, paraesophageal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease

Using a team-based approach with adept collaboration with colleagues from different medical specialties, Summa Health Cardiothoracic Surgery’s goal is to provide the best care for our patients and their families. It is a great privilege and honor for every member of the team to care for our community and we take pride in that.