Cancer of the esophagus. All cancers are awful but this one in particular. Untreated it’s quickly lethal. Since retirement I’ve dwelt on this surgical challenge as little as possible; however, my attention was drawn back by a recent letter from someone reading my blogs. He had his esophagus removed by Read More
Category: Thoracic Surgery
Reflux of acid from the stomach back into the esophagus is the disorder identified by the acronym GERD which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. It’s such a common disorder that I suspect few of you need this explanation—you are all too familiar. Unhappily, many are also well acquainted with the Read More
The esophagus is located in the body in a way that complicates surgical access. This tubular organ originates in the neck, passes down into the chest where it lurks behind the heart and is crossed over by the aorta as it courses from right to left when leaving the heart, Read More
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) means severe muscular weakness and that is exactly what patients experience. We know now that this neurologic disease is due to an autoimmune process in which patients develop antibodies which disrupt activation of muscles. These antibodies accomplish this by attacking the receptor side of the synapse linking Read More
The thoracic outlet is the part of the body surrounded by the curvature of the first rib on each side; this is the base of the neck and the top of the chest. The blood vessels (arteries and veins) and nerves to the arm exit from the chest through this Read More
You might think that the esophagus—it starts in the neck but most of it nestles safely within the chest and abdomen, guarded by ribs and a lot of tissue—is safe from being burned. Not so. Just as food has access to the inside of the esophagus so do a variety Read More
Mesothelioma: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges A mesothelioma is a malignancy of the tissues that line both the lung surface and the inside of the chest wall. These thin membranes—the parietal pleura lining the chest and the visceral pleura doing the same to each lung—occasionally develop a cancer called mesothelioma. More Read More
Second Opinions Patients are frequently advised, or decide on their own, to seek a second opinion after a recommendation to undergo an operation. That seems reasonable but it can actually result in more uncertainty than existed prior to the second opinion. When the surgeon agrees with the first recommendation the Read More
This week’s blog is by a friend and colleague Dr. Ed Bender. Ed is a cardiothoracic surgeon who is affiliated with Stanford and practices in the Bay area. He is a pioneer in the development and use of Smartphone Apps for surgeons. Using Smartphone Apps in a Daily Medical Read More
Cancer and fluid in the chest. When a surgeon looks into a chest the initial view reveals only a lung. It seems to take all the room. That’s because it’s full of air. However, while it touches the inside of the chest wall it’s not attached. The lung is quite Read More
