Thoracic surgeons specialize in surgery for the diseases of the chest, including:

• lungs
• chest wall
• heart
• diaphragm

Thoracic surgery is often grouped with cardiac surgery and at Baystate patients have access to the Baystate Heart & Vascular Program. 

Baystate often utilizes Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). VATS is a type of thoracic surgery performed using a small video camera that is introduced into the patient's chest via a scope. The surgeon is able to view the instruments that are being used along with the anatomy that is being operated on.

Treatment for a Number of Conditions
Surgeons at Baystate Medical Center use minimally invasive thoracic surgery to treat a variety of medical conditions. These include:

• Resections for lung cancer and benign lung tumors
• Lung biopsies
• Treatment for empyema
• Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
• Malignant pleural effusions
• Pneumothorax
• Benign esophageal and mediastinal tumors.

“Minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgery represents an important enhancement to our patient care,” says Wilson C. Mertens, MD, of the Baystate Regional Cancer Program. “Our ability to offer patients state-of-the-art cancer treatment and symptom palliation rounds out the multidisciplinary approach to thoracic malignancies we have developed at Baystate.”

Three surgeons in two surgical practices perform thoracic surgery at Baystate Medical Center:

•  Baystate Medical Practices — Baystate Thoracic Surgery
  •  Gary M. Hochheiser, MD, Chief of Thoracic Surgery
  •  Rose B. Ganim, MD

•  Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery
  •  Mark Sherman, MD