Thoracic Surgery

Health conditions that affect your breathing can interfere with how you live your life. The thoracic surgery team at UMass Memorial Health understands the need for an accurate diagnosis and timely treatment. We value innovation and collaborative care, knowing those factors are key to treating chest and lung conditions.

What Is Thoracic Surgery?

Thoracic surgery focuses on treating conditions and diseases affecting the organs and structures in the chest cavity, including:

• Airways
• Chest wall
• Diaphragm
• Esophagus
• Lungs

Thoracic Diseases and Conditions We Treat

Our thoracic surgeons perform evaluations and use advanced surgical procedures to treat a wide range of diseases and conditions, including:

• Airway masses, scars and disorders
• Chest wall tumors
• Diaphragm paralysis and masses
• Emphysema
• Empyema (collection of pus in the chest cavity)
• Esophageal cancer
• Lung cancer
• Lung nodules and benign (noncancerous) lung tumors
• Mediastinal tumors, which grow in the space between the lungs
• Mesothelioma
• Pleural effusion (abnormal fluid in the chest cavity)

Recognized Leader in Lung Cancer Surgery

Surgeons at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester were among the first in the country to perform robotic (computer-assisted) thoracic surgery to remove lung cancer. U.S. News and World Report also recognized UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester as High-Performing in lung cancer surgery. That means our comprehensive care and surgical expertise rates are above the national average.

How Our Thoracic Surgeons Approach Your Care

Our surgical experts are highly trained and experienced. They use innovative techniques and personalized treatment to provide you with comprehensive and compassionate care. At UMass Memorial, you have access to:

Wide-Ranging Surgical Services

At UMass Memorial, we use minimally invasive techniques, robot-assisted surgery and advanced technology to treat your condition with minimal pain and downtime. Common thoracic procedures we perform include:

• Airway surgery
• Chest wall reconstruction
• Diaphragm/hiatal hernia surgery
• Esophageal cancer surgery
• Lobectomy
• Lung cancer surgery
• Removal of mediastinal masses and tumors
• Pleural disease surgery
• Pleurectomy
• Pneumonectomy
• Severe emphysema surgery
• Tracheal resection

Precise CT Lung Cancer Screening

We offer comprehensive screening for people at high risk for lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Screening Program uses low-dose computer tomography (LDCT) to safely and accurately detect lung cancer at an early stage. Learn more about our CT Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Same-Day Assessment and Treatment of Early-Stage Lung Cancer

UMass Memorial was the first program in New England to offer robotic one-anesthetic diagnosis and treatment (RODAT). It’s a process that involves multiple specialists, allowing us to assess, diagnose and remove early-stage lung cancer in one session. We can treat cancer in a few hours instead of requiring you to wait weeks between diagnosis and treatment.

Watch this video to learn more about RODAT at UMass Memorial.