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What Is a Thoracic Surgeon?
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A thoracic surgeon is a specialist trained to diagnose and surgically treat conditions affecting the chest specifically the lungs, oesophagus, trachea, mediastinum, and chest wall. The specialty sits apart from cardiac surgery, which focuses exclusively on the heart. Most patients who need a thoracic surgeon are referred after a chest X-ray or CT scan finds something that requires more than medical management, or when breathlessness, cough, or swallowing difficulty fails to resolve with medicines alone.
According to Dr. George Karimundackal, a leading Thoracic Surgeon in Mumbai,
“A thoracic surgeon is the person you need when there is a problem inside the chest that cannot be fixed with tablets or a scope. Lung cancer, oesophageal tumours, collapsed lungs, chest infections that have turned into empyema these are surgical problems. The earlier the referral, the more options there are on the table.”
Thoracic Surgeon vs Other Chest Specialists at a Glance
|
Specialist |
Focus |
When to See Them |
|
Thoracic Surgeon |
Lungs, oesophagus, trachea, chest wall, mediastinum |
Surgical conditions — cancer, nodules, collapsed lung, empyema |
|
Cardiac Surgeon |
Heart and major blood vessels |
Bypass surgery, valve repair, aortic conditions |
|
Pulmonologist |
Medical lung conditions |
Asthma, COPD, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease |
|
Gastroenterologist |
Oesophagus and GI tract (medical) |
Reflux, Barrett’s oesophagus, swallowing issues |
What Conditions Does a Thoracic Surgeon Treat?
The scope of thoracic surgery covers a wide range of conditions, both cancerous and non-cancerous. Most patients are surprised by how broad the specialty actually is.
- Lung cancer: Patients with a lung nodule on imaging, a persistent cough, or unexplained weight loss with a smoking history should be evaluated for lung cancer at a thoracic surgery centre rather than waiting through multiple rounds of antibiotics.
- Oesophageal conditions: Oesophageal cancer, severe GERD with structural damage, and oesophageal perforation all require thoracic surgical expertise. The oesophagus runs from the neck to the abdomen through the chest cavity, and operations on it require thoracic access and thoracic anaesthesia experience.
- Pleural disease: Pleural effusion, empyema, pneumothorax, and mesothelioma are all managed by thoracic surgeons. When fluid or infection around the lung fails to resolve with drainage alone, or when the lung collapses repeatedly, surgery is the definitive answer.
- Mediastinal tumours and thymomas: The mediastinum is the space between the lungs containing the heart, great vessels, trachea, and lymph nodes.
The conditions a thoracic surgeon treats range from straightforward to highly complex. What connects them is that they all sit inside the chest and require surgical expertise that neither a pulmonologist nor a general surgeon routinely holds.
How Does a Thoracic Surgeon Work Differently From a General Surgeon?
The distinction matters when a patient is trying to choose who to see for a chest problem. A general surgeon operates across the abdomen, breast, thyroid, and other sites. A thoracic surgeon operates exclusively inside the chest.
- Subspecialty training: A thoracic surgeon in India completes an MCh in Thoracic Surgery or Surgical Oncology after MS General Surgery, with additional fellowship training at specialist centres.
- Minimally invasive expertise: Most thoracic conditions today are managed with VATS or robotic platforms rather than open thoracotomy.
- Multidisciplinary tumour board: For cancer cases, a thoracic surgeon at a specialist centre works as part of a team that includes medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, and pathology.
- Access to the full range of chest procedures: A dedicated thoracic programme offers the complete range from diagnostic VATS biopsy and pleurodesis to complex oesophagectomy and tracheal resection.
Knowing which specialist to see first shortens the path to the right treatment significantly. If your symptoms or imaging point to a chest problem that is not clearly cardiac or medical in nature, understanding when to see a thoracic surgeon is the clearest next step.
Why Choose Dr. George Karimundackal?
Dr. George Karimundackal, MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology), MRCS Edinburgh, is Director of Thoracic Surgery at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai. With over 15 years as a thoracic surgeon, more than 1,000 minimally invasive thoracic procedures performed, and a prior role as Professor of Thoracic Surgery at Tata Memorial Hospital, he brings the depth of subspecialty training and case volume that complex thoracic conditions demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
A thoracic surgeon treats conditions affecting the lungs, oesophagus, trachea, mediastinum, and chest wall. This includes lung cancer, oesophageal cancer, pleural disease, pneumothorax, mediastinal tumours, and complex chest infections requiring surgery.
A thoracic surgeon operates on the lungs, airway, oesophagus, and chest wall. A cardiac surgeon focuses exclusively on the heart and major blood vessels. Some surgeons are trained in both, but thoracic-only surgeons focus entirely on non-cardiac chest conditions.
A pulmonologist manages lung conditions medically. A thoracic surgeon is needed when a condition requires surgical intervention a lung nodule needing biopsy or resection, a collapsed lung, a pleural infection, or an oesophageal or mediastinal problem that medicines cannot resolve.
Most thoracic conditions are now managed with minimally invasive techniques including VATS and robotic surgery. These approaches achieve the same surgical result as open thoracotomy with smaller incisions, less pain, and significantly faster recovery.