The Thoracic Surgery team at Episcopal Health Services provides advanced care for a board range of esophageal, pulmonary and chest wall conditions, delivering excellent outcomes through individualized treatment and a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach.
What is Thoracic Surgery?
Thoracic surgery encompasses a wide range of procedures targeting the thoracic cavity, which is the area of the body containing the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other vital chest organs. Conditions treated range from lung cancer, esophageal disorders, and mediastinal tumors to airway abnormalities and cardiac disease requiring surgical intervention.
Personalized Treatment Planning
Each treatment plan is developed through a thorough consultation process that incorporates the patient’s complete medical history, diagnostic imaging, pulmonary function testing and individual health goals. Based on this evaluation, the board-certified thoracic surgery team recommends individualized treatment strategies to minimize complication risk, optimize management of coexisting health conditions, and achieve the best possible surgical outcomes.
Understanding that surgery can be a daunting prospect, the EHS team is committed to supporting patients through every stage of treatment by ensuring they are informed, comfortable, and confident in the care they receive.
Experienced Multidisciplinary Team
The thoracic surgery team at EHS has extensive experience in the management of complex thoracic conditions. Care is supported by specialists across a broad range of disciplines, ensuring each patient receives a comprehensive, fully coordinated treatment plan:
- Pulmonology
- Interventional Radiology
- Gastroenterology
- Medical and Radiation Oncology
- Pathology
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology
- Social Work and Care Coordination
Coordinated Card with Specialist Providers
Many thoracic conditions such as lung cancer, mediastinal tumors and cardiac disease require treatment that bridges multiple specialties. Therefore, the EHS thoracic surgeons work in close collaboration with other specialists, including Cardiology and Oncology teams, to ensure fully integrated and coordinated care.
For patients with cancer, this means the thoracic surgery team collaborates directly with medical oncologists and radiation oncologists at EHS to develop a unified treatment strategy combining surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or other modalities as appropriate for each patient’s diagnosis and stage.
Advanced Diagnostic and Surgical Technology
EHS remains at the forefront of thoracic surgery through continued investment in advanced imaging technologies and the adoption of emerging surgical innovations. These capabilities support earlier disease detection and enable minimally invasive approaches that help preserve healthy tissue, reduce postoperative pain, shorten hospital stays and accelerate recovery.
Procedures and Treatments Offered
Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery
Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive surgical approach used to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions affecting the lungs, pleura, mediastinum, and esophagus. Rather than a large open chest incision, VATS uses small incisions through which a tiny camera (thoracoscope) and specialized instruments are inserted. This approach offers significant advantages over traditional open surgery, including:
- Significantly less post-operative pain
- Reduced blood loss and lower risk of complications
- Shorter hospital stays — often 1 to 3 days versus 5 to 7 for open surgery
- Faster return to normal activities
- Minimal scarring
Additional Diagnostic and Surgical Procedures
- Bronchoscopy (including endobronchial ultrasound/EBUS)
- Esophagectomy
- Lobectomy and segmentectomy
- Lung Resection
- Thymectomy
- Chest wall resection and reconstruction
- Pleurodesis and pleural procedures
- Mediastinoscopy and mediastinal biopsy
Conditions We Treat
Pulmonary Conditions
- Lung cancer (including non-small cell and small cell carcinoma)
- Mesothelioma
- Pulmonary nodules and masses
- Emphysema and end-stage lung disease
Esophageal Conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Barrett’s esophagus
- Achalasia
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
- Esophageal tumors
Mediastinal and Chest Wall Conditions
- Excision of mediastinal masses
- Lymph node biopsy
For more information about our thoracic surgery services at EHS, call 718-869-7256. Click here to find a Thoracic Surgeon at Episcopal Health Services.
Ali Safavi, MD
Chief of Thoracic Surgery