The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

What is a Thoracic 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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Dr. Joseph Bavaria Discusses HVD at Congressional Briefing

STS Past President speaks at the Congressional Briefing for the first-ever National HVD Awareness Day.

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National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day

More than 5 million Americans have heart valve disease.

As an official partner of the Alliance for Aging Research, STS is proud to participate in the National HVD Awareness Day.

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Valve Repair/Replacement Surgery

Mitral valve replacement, aortic valve replacement, mitral valve repair.

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What is Pediatric Heart Disease?

Pediatric heart disease is a term used to describe several different heart conditions in children.

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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 7,200 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

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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
2 Hours Ago

Can three-dimensional (3D) printing create body parts with living tissue?

Researchers have used a custom-designed three-dimensional (3D) printer that had been modified by engineers to enable printing of living cells. The printer produces a biodegradable structure (scaffold) that can be combined with living cells to create a tracheal segment. The size and shape of the s...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
1 Day Ago

How safe is aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery?

Fewer people undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) are being rehospitalized in the year following surgery, indicating the surgery is safer and the recovery has become easier. Aortic valve disease is common among older people and frequently requires valve replacement. Previous research has shown
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
1 Day Ago

How do survival rates affect treatment for older people with lung cancer?

Information about people with lung cancer from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) found that adults age 65 years and older who have lung cancer live longer after being treated with surgery. Since older a
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Jun 20

How serious is aortic dissection?

Aortic dissection is very serious and requires emergency surgical repair. As many as 40 percent of people with aortic dissections die instantly, and the risk of death increases 1 percent for every hour that the diagnosis and surgical repair are delayed, according to multisociety clinical practice...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Jun 20

What is an aortic dissection?

An aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the aorta (the large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart) to the body, causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to separate (dissect). In type A dissection, the tear begins where the aorta exits the heart (ascending aorta) and extends.
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Jun 20

How can JHH NS be used to improve outcomes after heart surgery?

JHH NS (Johns Hopkins Hospital Nutrition Score), a nutrition risk score, can improve outcomes after heart surgery by helping doctors identify people at risk for malnutrition when undergoing heart surgery. With the JHH NS, people who are at risk for malnutrition when undergoing heart surgery can be..
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Jun 20

What problems are associated with postoperative malnutrition?

Problems associated with postoperative malnutrition (malnutrition resulting from inadequate calorie intake during the postoperative period) include the following: high morbidity and mortality delayed recovery increased hospital stay early readmission decreased quality of life increased health
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On May 31

What is the survival rate for older adults after surgery for lung cancer?

Older adults are among the rapidly growing number of those diagnosed with lung cancer. The good news is that today people age 65 years and older are living longer after lung cancer surgery. Researchers recently found that, on average, people who had surgery for early stage lung cancer lived about 6.
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On May 30

How does lung cancer impact the body?

Small lung cancers do not usually cause any symptoms and are occasionally found accidentally on a chest x-ray or CT scan done for another purpose. However, most lung cancers are symptomatic when they are discovered.
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Apr 28

What are the complications of tooth extraction prior to cardiac surgery?

Medical guidelines label dental extraction as a minor procedure, with the risk of death or non-fatal heart attack estimated to be less than 1%. However, a study has documented a higher rate of major adverse outcomes, suggesting doctors should evaluate individualized risk of anesthesia and surgery...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Apr 27

Why are blood conservation strategies used during aortic valve replacement?

Incorporating a blood conservation strategy (BCS) during aortic valve replacement (AVR) can reduce the likelihood of transfusion-related complications. Researchers examined the impact of a BCS on surgical outcomes following AVR. Implementation of blood conservation strategies can be safely complete
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Apr 26

Why should I quit smoking now if I need coronary artery bypass surgery?

One reason patients who may require bypass surgery should stop smoking immediately is to help preserve health and function of the leg vein used for the coronary bypass graft. In a study published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, researchers analyzed heart surgery outcomes in 208 patients undergoi
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Apr 24

What is an endograft?

Doctors perform minimally invasive endovascular procedures to treat aortic aneurysms, using cloth-covered wire mesh tubes called endografts to replace the aorta from within. This is essentially putting a new pipe inside an old, broken-down pipe. However, when critical branches come off the broken-do
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Apr 24

What is peripheral artery disease (PAD)?

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the head, organs, and limbs. One in 20 Americans over the age of 50 has PAD, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered
On Mar 30

How does pneumoconiosis cause lung cancer?

As various dust particles are inhaled, inflammation in the lung occurs. As the body heals this inflammation, scar develops. This scar or fibrosis increases over time causing other lung disease such as emphysema. Patients with pneumoconiosis have a chronic inflammation and may predispose people to...
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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

What is a Thoracic Surgeon?

Dr. Joseph Bavaria Discusses HVD at Congressional Briefing

National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day

More than 5 million Americans have heart valve disease.

Valve Repair/Replacement Surgery

What is Pediatric Heart Disease?

Our Mission

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Associated Groups

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