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Thoracic (Chest) Surgery

Center for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery
Thoracic surgeons within the Center for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery have extensive experience in utilizing robotic and minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) conditions of the lungs, esophagus, pleura, and mediastinum.

Robotic and video-assisted thoracic surgeries (VATS) consist of utilizing a telescope and specially designed instruments to perform operations through small skin incisions. The operations performed through these approaches are identical to the traditional operations performed through larger incisions that include spreading of the ribs. Because of less tissue trauma, patients that undergo robotic and VATS sustain less discomfort, pain, and experience a faster recovery.

Operations performed through the robot or VATS include: lobectomy and segmentectomy for lung cancer; esophagectomy for benign and malignant conditions of the esophagus; thymectomy for patients with myasthenia gravis, small thymomas (tumors of the thymus) or other mediastinal tumors; sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating of the hands); anti-reflux operations (Nissen, Toupett, Dor) for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); myotomy for achalasia; and blebectomy and pleurodesis for pneumothorax or recurrent pleural effusions (accumulation of fluid around the lung).

Thoracic (Chest) Surgery Contact Information
For more information regarding Thoracic (Chest) Surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, call (312) 695-3800 or (877) 926-4664, or request an appointment online.

Visit the Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Health Learning Center and Alberto Culver Women's Health Learning Center. These state-of-the-art health information libraries are among the largest hospital-based learning facilities of their kind. For more information call (312) 926-5465.

Review Date: 06/08