Cardiothoracic Surgery
Our experienced team of cardiothoracic surgeons performs a wide variety of routine and complex procedures to treat your heart, lungs, esophagus and chest, close to home.
If you need cardiothoracic surgery, you want to know your care is in the right hands. Tallahassee Memorial is home to the largest and most advanced cardiothoracic surgery program in and around Leon County.
What is Cardiothoracic Surgery?
Cardiothoracic surgery is a type of specialty surgery that involves operating on organs in your chest cavity, also called your thorax. This includes your heart, lungs and esophagus. At Tallahassee Memorial, cardiothoracic surgery involves a variety surgical techniques and procedures, including open-chest operations, laparoscopic procedures and robotically assisted surgeries.
Services & Treatments We Offer
We offer a full range of cardiothoracic surgery services and treatments, including:
- Coronary artery bypass
- Valve repair and replacement
- Robotic assisted surgery using the DaVinci Surgical System
- Adult congenital heart defect repair
- Cardiac tumor resection
- Open repair of thoracic aortic disease
- VATS (video-assisted thoracic surgery) for all aspects of malignant and benign pulmonary disease
- Transhiatal (thoracotomy-sparing) esophagectomy for malignant and benign esophageal disease
- All aspects of thoracic trauma, repair of heart, lung, esophagus, trachea and great vessel injuries
About Robotic Assisted Cardiothoracic Surgery
At Tallahassee Memorial, we have the largest team of cardiothoracic surgeons trained in robotic surgery in and around Leon County: Dr. C. Patrick Murrah and Dr. David Saint.
Robotic surgery is done through very small cuts in the chest. Using tiny instruments and robot-controlled tools, including our daVinci Surgical System, our cardiothoracic surgeons perform surgery in a way that is much less invasive than traditional surgery. Smaller incisions mean you can heal faster and return to activities more quickly.
Who Needs Cardiothoracic Surgery?
Our cardiothoracic surgeons treat a range of conditions impacting the heart, lungs, esophagus and chest, including:
- Coronary artery disease or blockages of the arteries in the heart
- Blockages in the heart valves
- Leaking heart valve(s)
- Heart failure
- Atrial fibrillation
- Aortic aneurysms
- Abnormal enlargement or aneurysms of the large arteries in the chest
- Masses and tumors in the chest, heart or lungs
- Pneumothorax (collapsed lungs)
- Plural effusions (fluid around the lungs)
- Lung cancer
- Severe emphysema
- Esophageal cancer
- Hiatal hernias
If other treatments – such as lifestyle changes, medicines and minimally invasive procedures – haven't worked or can't be used, heart surgery might be an option for you.
Why Choose TMH?
When you undergo cardiothoracic surgery here at Tallahassee Memorial, you’ll be cared for by the region’s largest and most experienced surgical team. Our robotic surgery program recently earned accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC). As first hospital in the region to be accredited by SRC, we’re proudly providing the highest quality of care to patients undergoing robotic surgery.
