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Welcome to the Mayo Clinic Chest Surgery Page. Chest surgery at Mayo Clinic (also known as thoracic surgery) involves the organs of the chest, but extends to the esophagus (tube between mouth and stomach), the trachea (airway) and the chest wall (rib cage and breastbone). Follow this page to stay up-to-date on clinical trial research, patient stories and useful information for all of your thoracic needs. Our goal is to connect you to others to become informed decision makers. Post a comment and share your thoughts.
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Thoracic Surgery Care Team
The Thoracic Surgery Care Team is made of individuals in various roles all with you, the patient, at the center. Individual members of the team will vary depending on which stage of care you are currently experiencing.
Supervising Physician: Leads your care team
Fellow and Resident: Physicians in training and integral member to your surgery and inpatient stay
Nurse Practitioner & Physician Assistant: Directly manages and coordinates your care with the guidance of your supervising physician
Clinical Research Coordinator: Provide you with information about innovative research studies and serves as your direct contact if you participate
Nursing Care Team: Coordinates care throughout hospitalization and general consists of Registered Nurses (RN's) and Patient Care Assistants (PCA's).
Medical Secretary: Provides the ongoing connection between you and your care team
Appointment Coordinator: Facilitates the scheduling process for you and your care team before and after your visit
Clinical Assistant: Serves as your direct contact and resource to you during your clinic visit
Operating Room team: Various roles that assist throughout the surgical procedure and often include the following roles: Anesthesiologist (MDA), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Circulating Registered Nurse, Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA), Certified Surgical Technician (CST)
Multidisciplinary Care Team:
The multidisciplinary team consists of members to provide the best individual care for your stay. The members of the team that can be personalized to your individual needs include surgical team physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, the pain service, pharmacists, physical and occupation therapists, dietitians, social workers, discharge planners, health unit coordinator, chaplains etc. To assure good communication, these team members meet regularly to review your plan of care and coordinate services to meet your individual needs for your hospital stay and eventual discharge from the hospital.
We encourage you to freely discuss any concerns you have about your health and plan of care with the multidisciplinary team members. Mayo Clinic is committed to providing thorough examinations, comprehensive diagnosis and treatments and detailed answers to your questions about your care, medications, and preparation for discharge. Your health-care team will work in partnership with you to provide the best experience possible.
Meet the Rochester, Minnesota Thoracic Surgeons
Minnesota Division of Thoracic Surgery (from left to right, top) Stephen D. Cassivi, M.D., Dennis A. Wigle, M.D., Ph.D. (Division Chair), Mark S. Allen, M.D. (from left to right, bottom) Francis, C. Nichols, M.D., Shanda H. Blackmon, M.D., M.P.H., K. Robert Shen, M.D.
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