Specialized thoracic (lung) treatment to meet your needs.

The Thoracic (Lung) Surgery Program at Sharp Grossmont Hospital provides specialized surgical treatment for disorders of the chest organs, particularly the lungs and esophagus.

Minimally invasive thoracic surgery options for an easier recovery.

At Sharp Grossmont, our experienced team of thoracic surgeons uses minimally invasive surgical techniques whenever possible. These specialized techniques result in less pain, faster recovery time, smaller scar size and fewer complications than traditional surgery — meaning you can get back to your regular life faster and easier.

Thoracic surgical treatments we offer.

At Sharp Grossmont, we offer the following surgical treatment for thoracic (lung) disorders:

• Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)
  During VATS you will be under general anesthesia.
• Awake video-assisted thoracic surgery (AVATS)
  During AVATS you will be under both local anesthesia and sedation.

With both procedures, a video scope is introduced into the chest through a small port, which is just a few millimeters in length.

Thoracic conditions we treat.

VATS and AVATS can be used to treat:

• Esophageal disease
  -Esophageal achalasia (a thickening of the muscle in the esophagus, which causes difficulty in swallowing)
  -Removal of esophageal cancer
• Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
  -Hyperhidrosis of the hands can be surgically corrected by destroying or removing the sympathetic nerve cells responsible for this disorder
• Lung disease
  -Diagnose and treat fluid around the lung
  -Diagnose and treat mediastinal tumors (tumors in the area between the lungs)
  -Diagnose, or stage, lung cancer
  -Reduce lung volume in emphysema patients
  -Treat blebs (small blister or pustule) on the lung which can lead to a collapsed lung
  -Treat lung cancer in patients who cannot tolerate open surgery
• Pericardial disease
  -Biopsy or partial removal of the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart

If you are not a candidate for either VATS or AVATS, our surgeons can perform a traditional thoracotomy, which involves a standard incision on the back side of the chest through the ribs.

Our thoracic surgery team.

Our expert thoracic team collaborates closely with staff in pulmonary medicine, gastroenterology, medical and radiation oncology, neurology and cardiovascular surgery. We're here to walk you through this journey, and we're committed to providing you with high-quality, evidence-based care in a warm, soothing environment.