Thoracic Surgery

Thoracic conditions

Main Line Health offers expertise in the full range of thoracic conditions, including:

Benign conditions:

• Benign chest tumors
• Complications related to severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Swallowing disorders

Precancerous conditions and cancers:

• Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer
• Chest wall cancers
• Lung cancer, including cancer that starts in the lungs or spreads to the lungs from other areas
• Mediastinal cancers, including thymic cancers and germ cell tumors

We provide evaluation and biopsy of suspicious growths or tumors in a secure, comfortable environment. Our team will answer any questions you may have about your results so you can make an informed decision about your treatment options.

For patients needing palliative care, we offer treatments to help manage symptoms including pleural effusions (fluid collections in the lung) and relief of airway obstruction, as well as management of esophageal obstruction.

Surgical treatment options

The thoracic surgeons at Main Line Health specialize in the latest surgical techniques, including:

• Minimally-invasive esophageal surgery (MIE) for esophageal cancer
• Minimally invasive surgical treatment of swallowing disorders and reflux disease
• Minimally invasive and robotic surgery for thymic cancer
• Minimally invasive and robotic surgery to remove benign mediastinal tumors
• Robotic and video-assisted thorascoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung cancers
• Surgical treatment of chest wall tumors

Photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment

Many times, cancer that requires thoracic surgery is followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Main Line Health also offers the latest in photodynamic therapy as a non-invasive treatment for esophageal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Photodynamic therapy may be used in addition to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. It may also be used as an alternative treatment when surgery is not an option.