Thoracic surgery
About thoracic surgery
Thoracic surgery is surgery of the chest. Newborns and children with both acquired and congenital diseases of the chest may require thoracic surgery. This includes children with:
- Congenital lung abnormalities such as congenital pulmonary airway malformations (CPAM), sequestrations and bronchogenic cysts
- Acquired conditions such as lung infections and empyema
- Tumors in the chest
- Chest wall developmental deformities such as pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum
The best care for kids
Proud to be ranked among the nation’s best
We’ve been nationally recognized for superior lung surgery by U.S. News & World Report. We maintain our commitment to New Yorkers by raising the standard for pediatrics—so together, we can raise healthier kids.
Our approach to treatment
Our pediatric surgeons are experts in treating a variety of conditions with thoracic surgery. The vast majority of surgery can be done using minimally invasive techniques, where major thoracic surgery is performed through tiny incisions with the aid of a video camera and magnifying telescope. This allows for much less pain and scarring and a quicker recovery. In addition, we work very closely with our pediatric anesthesiologists, who use regional blockades for long-term pain control in order to lessen the need for narcotics in young patients after they undergo surgery.
Our surgeons have the advanced skills necessary to perform a wide range of operations such as:
- Resection of congenital abnormalities of the lung
- Repair of a congenital esophageal abnormality in a baby
- Draining infections from the chest in a child with pneumonia
- Biopsying and/or resecting tumors in the chest
We also have a dedicated program to specifically treat chest wall deformities such as pectus excavatum and carinatum.