25 of the Best Thoracic Surgeons Near Me

Originally from Texas, Rece W. Laney MD, MS, moved to the Appalachian Highlands to join the Ballad Health CVA Heart Institute and care for patients in this region. Dr. Laney received his medical degree from the University of Texas in Houston and completed a residency and internship in general surgery, followed by a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery. He chose cardiothoracic surgery because he was “always intrigued by the complexity of thoracic surgery and the skill of the teams it takes to care for these patients.”. His clinical expertise encompasses Lung Cancer, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG). Dr. Laney is board certified in American Board Of Surgery and American Board Of Thoracic Surgery.

Andrew Fireman is a Cardiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Dr. Fireman is highly rated in 37 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Atrial Fibrillation, Cardiomyopathy, Hypertension, Pacemaker Implantation, and Aortic Valve Replacement. Dr. Fireman is board certified in Cardiology. Dr. Fireman is currently accepting new patients.

Asoka Balaratna is a Cardiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Dr. Balaratna is highly rated in 36 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Coronary Heart Disease, Atherosclerosis, Angina, Pacemaker Implantation, and Heart Bypass Surgery. Dr. Balaratna is board certified in Cardiology. Dr. Balaratna is currently accepting new patients.

Joseph Dearani is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Dearani is highly rated in 35 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Ebstein's Anomaly, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).

James D. Luketich, MD, is the Henry T. Bahnson Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He specializes in all areas of thoracic oncology, including lung cancer, mediastinal malignancies, and esophageal cancer, as well as multidisciplinary management (combined chemotherapy/radiation/surgery) of esophagogastric carcinoma and lung cancer, and benign esophageal disease. Dr. Luketich is highly rated in 35 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Hiatal Hernia, Hernia, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Endoscopy, and Lung Transplant. Dr. Luketich is board certified in American Board Of Thoracic Surgery.

Richard Borge is a Cardiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Dr. Borge is highly rated in 34 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Atrial Fibrillation, Arrhythmias, Familial Ventricular Tachycardia, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation. Dr. Borge is board certified in Cardiology. Dr. Borge is currently accepting new patients.

Hani Najm is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Najm is highly rated in 31 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Double Discordia, Congenital Coronary Artery Malformation, Ventricular Septal Defects, Heart Valve Repair, and Aortic Valve Replacement. Dr. Najm is board certified in Royal College Of Physicians And Surgeons Of Canada, 1994.

Charles Mulligan is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Newark, Delaware. Dr. Mulligan is highly rated in 31 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Lung Cancer, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Lung Nodules, Advanced Bronchoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Dr. Mulligan is board certified in American Board Of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic Surgery and American Board Of Surgery, Surgery (General Surgery).

Dr. Stephen C. Yang is a professor of surgery and medical oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Johns Hopkins Hospital. In October 2008 he was named the first recipient of The Arthur B. and Patricia B. Modell Professor in Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Yang is an extreme supporter of medical students, being the only surgeon (amongst 20 chosen from the School of Medicine) for the medical student advisory Colleges system, and is the faculty sponsor for the Surgery Interest Group and the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. Dr. Yang graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Chemistry and received his M.D. degree from the Medical College of Virginia. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and finished his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia. He also completed a 3 year thoracic surgical oncology research fellowship at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He currently serves on the Postgraduate Affairs, Medical School Admissions, Educational Policy, and Curriculum Reform Committees in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He served on numerous national and international committees for these organizations, and is the Taskforce Chair on the Looking to the Future Residency Scholarships for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons He is Editor of Practical Reviews in Chest Medicine and guest editor/ reviewer for numerous peer review journals. He is co-editor of the book Current Therapy in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, edited the esophageal surgical section in the 2nd edition of Atlas of Gastrointestinal Surgery with John Cameron, M.D., and series editor-in-chief of The Early Diagnosis of Cancer also editing the book volume of The Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer. In 2001, he and his lung transplant team were featured in the ABC series 24/7 and is currently also being followed in the sequel to that series focusing in on resident and medical student teaching. This series as well as other experiences are still shown on the Discovery Channel. The extensive work in preparing an esophageal cancer patient for surgery on the BBC and the Discovery Channel. Dr. Yang's laboratory research interests include using molecular techniques for lung cancer screening and for molecular staging of micrometastasis to predict recurrence following surgical resection. His clinical practice and research covers the breath of general thoracic surgery in pulmonary and esophageal surgery, video-assisted and robotics thoracic surgery, mediastinal and pleural work, lung volume reduction surgery for emphysema, and work in geriatric thoracic surgery. Dr. Yang is highly rated in 30 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Lung Nodules, Endoscopy, and Thymectomy. Dr. Yang is board certified in American Board Of Thoracic Surgery.

Scott Shapiro is a Cardiologist and a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Dr. Shapiro is highly rated in 30 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Atrial Fibrillation, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Patent Foramen Ovale, Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), and Cardiac Ablation. Dr. Shapiro is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Shapiro is currently accepting new patients.

Hartzell Schaff is a Thoracic Surgeon and a General Surgeon practicing medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Schaff is highly rated in 29 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), Constrictive Pericarditis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG). Dr. Schaff is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Hiroo Takayama is Vice Chair of Cardiac, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He has more than 20 years of experience in treating patients with heart and vascular problems. As the co-Director of the Aortic Center at NYP/Columbia, Dr. Takayama has contributed to the care of over 4,000 patients by performing a variety of aortic and cardiac surgical procedures, approximately 300-350 operations every year.Dr. Takayama is internationally recognized for his work on complex aortic surgery (minimally invasive aortic surgery, valve-sparing aortic root replacement, aortic valve repair, aortic arch and thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair), hybrid aortic surgery (thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair), myectomy for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure surgery.He is a leader in outcome research in aortic diseases and heart failure. He has published more than 300-350 manuscripts in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals and has authored numerous book chapters about heart disease.Dr. Takayama attended University of Tokyo for Medical School, did his internship at University of Tokyo, general surgery residency in University of Washington Medical Center, and cardio-thoracic surgery fellowship in New-York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Takayama is highly rated in 29 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Cardiogenic Shock, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Dissection, Heart Transplant, and Lung Transplant. Dr. Takayama is board certified in Surgery, Thoracic And Cardiac Surgery, and Cardiac Surgery. Dr. Takayama is currently accepting new patients.

Shinya Unai is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Unai is highly rated in 28 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Infective Endocarditis, Endocarditis, Constrictive Pericarditis, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Vinod Thourani is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Thourani is highly rated in 27 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Aortic Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Dr. Gorav Ailawadi joined the University of Michigan as the Chair of Cardiac Surgery in September of 2020. Previously, he served as the Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Co-Director of the Cardiac Valve Center, and Director of the Medical Device Innovation Center at the University of Virginia.Dr. Ailawadi was raised in Maryland and New Jersey. He attended an accelerated honors program in medical education at Northwestern University where he received the awards for best overall student and top surgical student. Additionally, he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. While completing a surgery residency at the University of Michigan, Dr. Ailawadi spent two research years investigating and understanding the development of aortic aneurysms. His work was recognized by the NIH/Lifeline Association and was chosen as the top research project in 2003. While at Michigan, he received the Top Resident and Young Investigator Awards. He then completed his training and joined the faculty at the University of Virginia in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery.Dr. Ailawadi has internationally-recognized expertise in mitral and aortic valve disease with vast experience in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and percutaneous/transcatheter valve therapies having performed over 600 minimally invasive procedures and roughly 3000 heart operations. He has been invited to national and international conferences to share his expertise with novel minimally invasive approaches, valve disease, reoperative and AF surgery.At Virginia, Dr. Ailawadi was the first surgeon in the U.S. to perform hybrid AF ablation, the first U.S. Surgeon to perform the MitraClip procedure, and the world’s first transcaval TEVAR procedure. He has been the principal investigator for a novel left atrial appendage clip to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Dr. Ailawadi served one of five core principal investigators leading the CTSN linked research consortium (NIH) developing new trials in cardiac surgery. Currently, Dr. Ailawadi is on the executive steering committee for numerous transcatheter and surgical trials in valvular disease. Dr. Ailawadi is the surgical national principal investigator for the Summit Trial investigating TENDYNE, a transcatheter mitral valve replacement without stopping the heart. In 2019, Dr. Ailawadi completed his MBA from the Darden School of Business.Dr. Ailawadi has been funded by the NIH, AHA, among other grants. His research lab studies novel mechanisms and new treatments for aortic aneurysms. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts in journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, and JACC. Dr. Ailawadi is member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgeons, the American Surgical Association, and the Cardiac Surgery Biology Club. In his leisure time, Dr. Ailawadi enjoys exercise, sports, and spending time with his wife, Aarti, and their three children. Dr. Ailawadi is highly rated in 27 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Tricuspid Regurgitation, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), and Heart Bypass Surgery. Dr. Ailawadi is board certified in Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery and Surgery.

Dr. Paul C. Lee is the System Director of Thoracic Surgery at Northwell Health. Board certified in both general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery, he has over 17 years of experience as a thoracic surgeon and specializes in treating benign and malignant disorders of the lung and esophagus. He uses the most advanced minimally invasive robotic techniques, which improve surgical precision and quicken patient recovery.Dr. Lee leads the busiest thoracic surgery program in the New York City area, and is based at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Under his direction, the program has been recognized by the Surgical Review Corporation as America's first Robotic Surgery Network of Excellence, a true testament to Dr. Lee's ongoing dedication to delivering innovative care.Dr. Lee's patients choose him not only for his results, but also for his accessibility and compassion. He understands the uncertainty that often comes with a health event or new diagnosis, as the majority of his patients are dealing with cancer. He takes the time to get to know every patient, ensuring the most individualized, compassionate care. He also offers same and next day appointments whenever possible.Collaboration is key to Dr. Lee's approach to treatment. He participates in weekly thoracic tumor boards, where specialists across many disciplines come together to discuss cases and decide on treatment plans uniquely tailored for each patient.Dr. Lee's expertise was honed at some of the finest educational institutions in the world, including Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Columbia University. Now at the top of his field, he's passionate about passing on his knowledge to other medical professionals. He's a Professor of Cardiovascular and Thoracic surgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He also mentors fellow surgeons at Northwell and beyond, training them in the latest robotic thoracic surgery techniques. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and has given presentations at many national and international scientific meetings in the fields of cardiopulmonary physiology, molecular cell biology and thoracic oncology.Research is also important to Dr. Lee. He has been the principal investigator of several innovative biological research trials for the treatment of lung and esophageal cancer. He's especially interested in the use of health outcome and quality metrics research in improving the delivery of thoracic surgical services to the community.Dr. Lee is a member of various prestigious medical societies including the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Chest Physicians, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Association for Thoracic Surgeons. He also served as the President of the Chinese American Medical Society from 2015 to 2017. Dr. Lee is highly rated in 27 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma, Lung Adenocarcinoma, Thymectomy, and Advanced Bronchoscopy. Dr. Lee is board certified in American Board Of Surgery and American Board Of Thoracic Surgery.

Robert Watson is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Dr. Watson is highly rated in 26 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation, Pulmonary Edema, and Pacemaker Implantation. Dr. Watson is board certified in Interventional Cardiology, Internal Medicine, and Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Watson is currently accepting new patients.

Lars Svensson is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Svensson is highly rated in 25 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Aortic Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Dr. Craig completed his fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Harvard Medical School, training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital. Previously he completed a fellowship in vascular and endovascular surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis where he also completed his general surgery residency and received his medical degree. He completed his undergraduate education at Southern Adventist University in Chattanooga, TN. Dr. Craig previously served as the surgical director of cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis. He is board certified in cardiothoracic surgery and vascular surgery. Dr. Craig is highly rated in 25 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Arterial Embolism, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Patent Foramen Ovale Repair. Dr. Craig is board certified in American Board Of Thoracic Surgery, American Board Of Surgery: Vascular Surgery, American Board Of Surgery: General Surgery, American Board Of Vascular Medicine, and Registered Physician In Vascular Interpretation. Dr. Craig is currently accepting new patients.

Michael Borger is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in New York, New York. Dr. Borger is highly rated in 24 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Mitral Valve Prolapse, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Endocarditis, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Heart Bypass Surgery.

James Stephenson is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Greenville, South Carolina. Dr. Stephenson is highly rated in 24 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Lung Nodules, Lung Cancer, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Endoscopy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Stephenson is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Mark Widmann is chief of Thoracic Surgery at Morristown Medical Center and leads Atlantic Medical Group’s North Jersey Thoracic Surgical Associates. Board certified in thoracic surgery, Dr. Widmann offers expert subspecialty surgical care to patients with benign and malignant disorders of the lung, mediastinum, pleura, esophagus and chest wall. He has expertise in state-of-the-art, minimally-invasive techniques and has led the programs development of Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) and other endoscopic/laparoscopic approaches to treat conditions such as cancer, infection, pneumothorax and swallowing disorders.With a commitment to clinical excellence, Dr. Widmann leads the section of thoracic surgery at Morristown Medical Center and has been surgical director of the Lung Cancer Program at Atlantic Health’s Carol G. Simon Cancer Center since 2000. Dr. Widmann graduated magna cum laude from Duke University and went on to pursue his medical degree at Yale University School of Medicine. His post-graduate training includes NIH sponsored research fellowships in Cardiovascular disease at Yale and the University of Iowa Hospitals. He performed his residency training in general surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT and cardiothoracic residency training at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City, IA.Committed to resident education, Dr. Widmann serves as an assistant clinical professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Chest Physicians and former president of the NJ Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Dr. Widmann is highly rated in 24 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Fibrosing Mediastinitis, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Lung Nodules, Thymectomy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Widmann is board certified in American Board Of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Widmann is currently accepting new patients.

Bo Yang, MD, Ph.D., joined the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Michigan in July 2011 after completing his Cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Stanford University. His clinical expertise spans the range of complex aortic surgical procedures to treat aortic pathology from aortic root to the femoral arteries (including open and TEVAR) and adult cardiac procedures, for patients with aortic aneurysm and dissections, such as bicuspid aortic vale, Marfan’s syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysm. These include valve sparing aortic root replacement (David procedure), Bentall procedures, repair of aortic dissections, thoracic aortic aneurysms, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms through open and endovascular procedures, aortic valve repair and other adult cardiac procedures including mitral valve repair and replacement, coronary artery revascularization and resection of cardiac tumors. Dr. Yang has been very productive in basic science research and clinical research. He and his team use patient’s induced pleuripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model the thoracic aortic aneurysm and study the mechanism of aortic aneurysm in bicuspid aortic valve and in patients with known mutations, such as Loyes-Dietz syndrome, Marfan syndrome, in order to develop novel therapies to prevent aortic aneurysm. Clinically, He and his team work have focused outcome research of aortic surgery and adult cardiac surgery, including acute aortic dissection, aortic root repair, aortic arch repair, thoraco or thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair. Please see the research section for more details. Dr. Yang is highly rated in 23 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Aortic Dissection, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Yang is board certified in Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery.

Daniel Raymond is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been practicing medicine for over 34 years. Dr. Raymond is highly rated in 23 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Thymectomy, and Parathyroidectomy. Dr. Raymond is board certified in American Board Of Thoracic Surgery, 2007.

Brian Nam is a Thoracic Surgeon practicing medicine in Newark, Delaware. Dr. Nam is highly rated in 23 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Lung Nodules, Lung Cancer, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Endoscopy, and Gastrostomy.