Thoracic Surgeons - Birmingham, AL

We found 3 thoracic surgeons in Birmingham, AL.

A

Lee Shefton Riggins, MD

View Profile

(No ratings)

Might Be Accepting Patients

Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic Surgery

401 SW Tuscaloosa Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35211

205-780-8980

Dr. Lee Riggins is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.
B

Dr. Fernando M. Garzia, MD

View Profile

(1 rating)

Accepting Patients

Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic Surgery

833 Princeton Avenue Southwest, Birmingham, AL 35211

Dr. Fernando Garzia sees patients in Rehoboth Beach, DE. His medical specialty is cardiothoracic surgery. He studied at Ohio State University College of Medicine.
C

JAMES M. DONAHUE, MD

View Profile

(1 rating)

Might Be Accepting Patients

Thoracic Surgery

700 S 19th Street, Birmingham, AL 35487

Dr. James Donahue is a graduate of Harvard Medical School.

What is Thoracic Surgery?

Thoracic surgery is a specialty that provides surgical treatment of chest conditions, including disorders of the lungs, esophagus, trachea, and other areas within the chest. Thoracic surgeons diagnose these chest disorders, perform critical chest-cavity procedures, and may conduct research for new thoracic surgical methods. Within the field of thoracic surgery, a surgeon sometimes has a distinct emphasis or subspecialty. For example, cardiothoracic surgeons have a greater focus on cardiac or heart problems.

Diseases requiring thoracic surgery are frequently categorized as severe and some require organ removal. However, the field of thoracic surgery is broad and also includes less invasive procedures such as lung drainage.

Some chest disorders a thoracic surgeon might treat include:

Cancer tumors of the lung, heart, throat, or mediastinum (chest area in between the lungs)
Pulmonary diseases like emphysema and bronchitis
Damage or obstruction of the lungs, throat, or airway
Diseases and hernias of the esophagus

Thoracic surgeons can detect disorders through chest-scanning electrocardiograms and CT scans, lung biopsies or pulmonary function (breathing) tests.

Surgical treatments for tracheal disorders include tracheostomy (incision made for a connected oxygen machine) and airway reconstruction. Some other chest conditions are remedied by thoracostomy or thoracentesis, in which a drainage tube is inserted to remove fluid or air from the area around the lungs. Thoracic surgeons may conduct an esophagectomy to remove the esophagus. Lung-specific treatments differ by the amount of tissue removed. For example, a wedge resection is a minor incision of a lung nodule or lung tissue for biopsy, whereas a lobectomy is a surgical removal of a larger portion of lung tissue called a lung lobe. Thoracic surgeons may perform a total lung removal (pneumonectomy) or lung transplant if necessary.

Most general thoracic surgeons do not treat heart conditions like blocked valves and coronary artery disease. These operations are performed by cardiothoracic surgeons.

Thoracic surgery can benefit from the use of robotic operative arms and less-invasive VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery), which increase accuracy and patient safety.

Filters

FILTERS

RATING

NEW PATIENTS

CONDITIONS / TREATMENTS

PRACTICE AFFILIATIONS

SPECIALTIES

SORT BY

Thoracic Surgeons - Birmingham, AL

We found 3 thoracic surgeons in Birmingham, AL.

Lee Shefton Riggins, MD

Dr. Fernando M. Garzia, MD

JAMES M. DONAHUE, MD

Thoracic (Chest) Surgeons in Nearby Locations

Other Providers in Birmingham, AL

What is Thoracic Surgery?