Lung and Esophagus Surgery

Our board-certified thoracic surgeons provide expert treatment for conditions affecting the lungs, airways, food pipe (esophagus), wind pipe (trachea), diaphragm, and other organs and tissues located within the chest. From performing structural repairs to removing tumors to restoring healthy swallowing and breathing, our goal is to provide care that achieves the best possible outcomes.

Advanced procedures

Our surgeons are trained in a wide variety of minimally invasive techniques, including endoscopic (a technique using a long, flexible tube with a light and camera) and robotic-assisted procedures. Potential advantages include reduced post-surgical pain, quicker recovery, and lower risk of complications.

Coordinated care

We collaborate closely with all members of your medical team, coordinating with pulmonologists, oncologists, cardiologists, and other specialists across Corewell Health to ensure you get the complete care you need.

Patient-centered

The best health care isn’t one-size-fits-all. We deliver individualized surgical and treatment plans that prioritize whole person well-being and put our patients’ personal goals, needs, values, and preferences first.

Diagnostic and treatment services performed by our thoracic surgeons include:

Bronchoscopy

Doctors insert a bronchoscope (a thin tube with a light, camera, and sometimes an ultrasound probe on the end) through the nose or mouth to examine the airways and lungs. During the procedure, doctors may also take tissue samples (biopsies), remove obstructions or damaged tissue, or perform other procedures.

Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR)

Using a bronchoscope, surgeons at Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan insert tiny one-way valves into the most damaged areas of the lungs. This prevents air from getting trapped in the lungs and can alleviate symptoms like severe shortness of breath and fatigue. It is one potential treatment for severe emphysema.

Diaphragmatic hernia repair

Repair of a tear or large opening in the diaphragm. Your surgical plan may involve open, minimally invasive, or robotic surgical procedures. Learn more about hernia repair.

Lung decortication

Surgeons remove abnormally thickened, fibrous tissue that has built up around the lungs. This allows a restricted (“trapped”) lung to fully re-expand, relieving severe chest pain and restoring normal breathing. It can often be performed using minimally invasive procedures.

Lung transplantation

Patients suffering from end-stage lung disease may be candidates for a transplant. Corewell Health’s lung transplant program consistently ranks among the best in the nation, according to data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

Minimally invasive procedures

These procedures, such as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), require only small incisions. They use specialized surgical tools and a flexible tube with a camera (thoracoscope) that allows surgeons to see inside the chest cavity to perform the work.

Open thoracotomy

A surgical procedure where a surgeon makes an incision in the chest wall between the ribs to access internal organs. It may be necessary to provide emergency trauma resuscitation or to treat injuries or diseases that cannot be addressed with minimally invasive surgery.

Resection surgeries

Surgeons remove all or part of a damaged or diseased organ, such as a lung or esophagus. This may be done to remove tumors, stop the spread of cancer, or to reduce trapped air and allow the remaining healthy lung tissue to operate more effectively (lung volume reduction surgery). Many resections can be performed using minimally invasive procedures.

Rib fracture surgery

Ribs that are severely broken or out of alignment are put back into position and fixed in place using plates and screws (rib plating). This can significantly reduce pain, decrease the risk of complications including respiratory failure, and allow the ribs to heal properly.

Robotic surgery

This is a type of minimally invasive procedure in which the camera and surgical tools are held by robotic arms and controlled by the surgeon. This allows our surgeons to perform highly complex or delicate procedures with greater precision and control than handheld surgical tools. Benefits include quicker recovery times, less pain, and lower risk of complications.

Sympathectomy

This minimally invasive procedure cuts, clamps, or burns specific nerves in the sympathetic nervous system and most commonly treats severe excessive sweating for hyperhidrosis.