The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

What is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon?

A thoracic surgeon is a medical doctor who performs operations on the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest.

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Aortic Dissection

Although aortic dissection is relatively uncommon, it is the most frequent emergency related to the human aorta.

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How the STS National Database Has Improved Your Patient Care

The STS National Database was established as a tool to improve the quality of care for heart and lung surgery patients.

Read the blog from Dr. Fred L. Grover

Coronary Artery Disease

Did you know that coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease?

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Robotic Surgery

Robotic Operations in Thoracic Surgery: Who Are the Candidates?

Read the blog from Dr. Linda W. Martin

Locate STS Surgeons

STS believes the public has a right to know the quality of surgical outcomes.

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STS Public Reporting Online

STS believes the public has a right to know the quality of surgical outcomes.

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Our Mission

Founded in 1964, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 7,300 cardiothoracic surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. Learn more at

Associated Groups:

CTSurgeryPatients.org

Activity

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
3 Days Ago

What can happen if I do nothing for my aortic stenosis?

If you do nothing for your aortic stenosis, it is important to know that severe aortic stenosis, even when there are no symptoms, carries a poor outcome if left untreated. For people with aortic st...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
3 Days Ago

How is aortic valve stenosis treated?

For people with severe aortic valve stenosis who have symptoms, the traditional treatment is minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (AVR), either surgical or transcatheter. Clinical guidelines...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
3 Days Ago

What is aortic valve stenosis?

Aortic valve stenosis—one of the more serious and most common valve diseases in the United States—occurs when the heart's aortic valve narrows, preventing the valve from opening ful...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
3 Days Ago

What does watchful waiting (WW) for aortic stenosis require?

The watchful waiting (WW) for aortic stenosis strategy requires that people recognize and promptly report any symptoms, and return to the hospital for a follow-up echocardiogram. The onset of sympt...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
3 Days Ago

Is watchful waiting (WW) safe for people with asymptomatic aortic stenosis?

Watchful waiting (WW) may be safe for people with asymptomatic aortic stenosis for up to one year. But for people with severe aortic stenosis, even if they have no symptoms, aortic valve replacemen...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
3 Days Ago

Should people with aortic stenosis but no symptoms have heart surgery?

People with severe aortic stenosis who have no symptoms may benefit from having heart surgery rather than waiting for symptoms to appear. The more aggressive strategy of early aortic valve replacem...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Apr 05

What kind of doctor treats lung cancer?

There are a number of doctors in different specialties who are all very important to accomplish the best treatment for the patient with lung cancer. These doctors make up the lung cancer "team...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Apr 05

Is cyanosis a symptom of lung cancer?

It can be. Cyanosis is a bluish discoloration of the lips and nailbeds which indicates an unusually low level of oxygen in the bloodstream. This can be found with lung cancer in two scenarios. In ...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Apr 05

Are dizziness or changes in vision signs of lung cancer?

Not typically. In rare cases in which there has been spread (or metastases) of the cancer to the brain, certain affected areas can lead to dizziness or visual changes. In other rare situations, lun...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Apr 05

Does coughing up phlegm mean I have lung cancer?

There are many reasons why people have a cough that produces phlegm. Most new coughs are related to an irritation in the lung such as viral infection or bacterial infection; and phlegm is commonly ...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Apr 05

Can the severity of my cough indicate whether or not I have lung cancer?

There are many reasons why people have a cough. Most new coughs are related to an irritation in the lung such as viral infection or bacterial infection. These coughs usually improve and then comple...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Apr 05

Can doctors diagnose lung cancer with a chest x-ray?

Not exactly. The changes that doctors can see on a chest x-ray (such a shadow or spot) can indicate a high probability of lung cancer but sometimes such changes can be caused by benign processes su...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Mar 12

What is an aneurysm?

An aneurysm is an enlargement of a blood vessel that can occur anywhere in the body, but is most common in the brain, chest, or abdomen. An aneurysm is sometimes referred to as a circumferential &l...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Mar 11

How is heart valve disease (valvular heart disease) treated?

There are four valves in the heart and all can have this disease. By far, the valves on the left side of the heart are the most likely to produce a problem. These valves are the aortic valve (betwe...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has answered a question
On Feb 27

How many people are waiting for organs?

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 114,000 people are on the waitlist for organs in the US; more than 3,800 of them are waiting for new hearts. Of those 3,800, approximate...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

What is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon?

Aortic Dissection

How the STS National Database Has Improved Your Patient Care

Coronary Artery Disease

Robotic Surgery

Our Mission

Associated Groups:

Online:

Links:

Associated Groups

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons's contact info

Activity

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