Breathe More Easily with Thoracic Surgery at AHN Jefferson Hospital

Thoracic diseases can affect your ability to breathe normally and function well. If less invasive treatment options haven’t worked, thoracic surgery might be the solution for you.

AHN Jefferson Hospital’s thoracic surgery team can help you find the right treatment plan and explore surgery options, so you can live a healthier, more comfortable life.

Reasons you might need thoracic surgery

If you have a thoracic condition, you might have already tried other treatments like medication, radiation, or immunotherapy.

“We do everything we can to explore less invasive options first, before moving forward with surgery, to achieve the best outcomes for each patient,” said Mathew Van Deusen, MD, thoracic surgeon at Jefferson Hospital. “For some patients, surgery is the best way to restore their health and keep their organs functioning.”

Some conditions that are treated with thoracic surgery include:

• Chest trauma or injuries.
• Emphysema – A lung condition causing shortness of breath.
• Benign (non-cancerous) diseases of the lungs, chest, diaphragm, esophagus, or mediastinum (the area between the lungs).
• Mediastinal tumors – Growths in the chest area between the lungs.
• Lung cancer.
• Esophageal cancer – Cancer in the tube that connects the throat to the stomach.

Types of thoracic surgeries

Jefferson Hospital specializes in lung, esophagus, diaphragm, and mediastinal surgeries. Some common thoracic procedures include:

• Lung or diaphragm resection surgery – Removing part of the lung or diaphragm affected by disease.
• Esophagectomy – Removing all or part of the esophagus affected by disease.
• Mediastinal tumor resection – Removing a tumor from the mediastinum in the chest.

The team at Jefferson Hospital often uses minimally invasive methods with robotic tools and cameras to see your organs clearly during surgery. Less invasive surgeries also involve smaller incisions, which can lead to less pain and a faster recovery.

Evaluation and planning for surgery

Before moving forward with surgery, doctors across specialty areas at Jefferson Hospital — including oncology, pulmonology, and radiology — will work together to make sure it’s the right next step for you.

They will:

• Talk with your primary care doctor about your symptoms and health history.
• Do imaging and CT scans to look closely at the parts of your body affected by a thoracic disease.
• Look at the stage of your disease and whether it has spread to other areas of your body.
• Do stress tests to see how your body will respond to surgery.

Your doctors will make sure you feel informed and supported every step of the way.

Healing and recovery

Recovery after surgery can look different for everyone, but most people can go home after three to five days if there aren’t any health issues that slow down healing.

Your surgery team will prepare you for recovery at home by:

• Talking with you about pain medication to help you heal comfortably.
• Giving you instructions and tips for moving about safely at home.
• Following up with you several weeks after surgery to do more imaging and make sure you are healing well.
• Following up with you every few months to monitor your long-term recovery.

Partners in your treatment and recovery

The thoracic surgery team at AHN Jefferson Hospital is committed to providing you with exceptional care for your thoracic condition and helping you live a longer, healthier life. Learn more about what to expect for thoracic surgery at Jefferson Hospital.