December 18, 2017/By John V. Conte, MD
Five Questions I Wish My Patients Would Ask Me
As an attending cardiac surgeon for more than 20 years, I have performed thousands of operations; I love what I do.

November 13, 2017/By Mara B. Antonoff, MD, FACS
10 Common Myths about Lung Cancer Surgery
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for both men and women in the United States.

October 30, 2017/By Mara B. Antonoff, MD, FACS
Learning About Lung Cancer: Best Online Resources for Patients
Finding out about a new diagnosis of lung cancer can be very overwhelming.

September 27, 2017/By Lisa Rogers with Lauren C. Kane, MD, FACS
What Is Life Like When Your Child has a Heart Transplant?
Rileigh Elizabeth Faith Rogers was born on January 16, 2015, via C-section in San Antonio, TX.

September 1, 2017/By Brendon M. Stiles, MD, FACS
The Most Important Lesson I Learned From a Patient: Optimism Leads to Achievement
Helen Keller once called optimism “the faith that leads to achievement.”

August 7, 2017/By Robbin G. Cohen, MD, MMM
Complications After Cardiothoracic Surgery: What Went Wrong?
As scary as it may sound, no surgical procedure is completely risk-free.

July 21, 2017/By Paul K. Minifee, MD
What Is Recovery from Heart Surgery Really Like? A Patient’s Experience.
As a surgeon, I have inside information on how a hospital works and how patients experience various tests and procedures.

June 26, 2017/By Linda W. Martin, MD, MPH
Robotic Operations in Thoracic Surgery: Who Are the Candidates?
Robotic surgery is fairly new; it was first used in 1985 for a neurosurgical procedure.

May 26, 2017/By Mark Russo, MD, MS
Endovascular Stent Graft Repair for Treating Aortic Aneurysms
Endovascular stent graft repair is a minimally invasive method to treat aneurysms of the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta.

May 9, 2017/By Mara B. Antonoff, MD, FACS
National Women’s Lung Health Week: The Importance of Taking Care of Your Lungs
The week of May 7-13 marks National Women’s Lung Health Week, as well as the week leading to Mother’s Day.

May 2, 2017/By John V. Conte, MD
Deciding Between a Tissue and a Mechanical Valve
If you have heart valve disease and find out that you need valve replacement surgery, one of the biggest decisions you may face is what type of valve to get.

April 14, 2017/By Bart Frazzitta
My Journey with Esophageal Cancer (Part 2)
The first phase of my treatment for esophageal cancer required chemotherapy 24 hours a day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks, along with 28 simultaneous radiation treatments.

April 11, 2017/By Mark K. Ferguson, MD
Risk Factors for Esophageal Cancer: What to Look For
Esophageal cancer is among the most common causes of cancer death around the world.

April 3, 2017/By Bart Frazzitta
My Journey with Esophageal Cancer (Part 1)
In December 1999, I complained to my doctor about food getting stuck in my esophagus.

March 28, 2017/By Candice Monroe
Thank You for the Heart Transplant that Saved My Life
On February 7, 2017, I celebrated 15 extra years of life; I am a heart transplant recipient.

March 20, 2017/By Frederick L. Grover, MD
How the STS National Database Has Improved Your Patient Care
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database was established more than 25 years ago as a tool to improve the quality of care for heart and lung surgery patients.

March 3, 2017/By Richard H. Feins, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery Training Is Intense, But It Helps Patients
Cardiothoracic surgery requires some of the longest and most comprehensive training in all of medicine.

February 23, 2017/By Cynthia Herrington, MD
Heart Transplant in Young Patients Offers Gift of Life
It is February 14. I walk in to greet my 12-year-old patient and say, “Happy Valentine’s Day! Your new heart is working just perfectly!” 

February 17, 2017/By Leah M. Backhus, MD, MPH, FACS
From Maximal to Minimal in Thoracic Surgery: Less is More…But Not Always
The earliest version of minimally invasive chest surgery (thoracic surgery) occurred more than 100 years ago.

January 31, 2017/By K. Robert Shen, MD
When Should I Have Surgery for GERD?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic digestive disease affecting the upper portion of the digestive tract.

January 27, 2017/By Robbin G. Cohen, MD, MMM
What You Should Know About Infections Related to Heater-Cooler Devices Used During Heart Surgery
If you have had heart surgery in the past few years, you may have recently received a letter from your hospital or heard other news stating that you could be at risk of developing a rare but potentially serious infection from a piece of equipment that was used during your operation.

January 16, 2017/By Robbin G. Cohen, MD, MMM
Choosing a Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Though you may not realize it at first, your cardiothoracic surgeon may have been chosen for you.

January 6, 2017/By Steve W. Guyton, MD, MHA, FACS
Should You Have a Stent or a Bypass Operation?
You’ve had a coronary angiogram that shows you have coronary artery disease (blockages or narrowing in the blood vessels that feed your heart muscle). Should you have a stent or a bypass operation?

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