Overview
The specialty of Thoracic Surgery encompasses organ systems in the chest and upper abdomen. This includes organs of the respiratory system (lungs, airway, ribcage and breastbone), the upper GI tract (esophagus and stomach) in addition to the mediastinum (the centre of the chest cavity).
Michael Garron Hospital is a level one Thoracic Surgery Centre that provides comprehensive Thoracic Surgery care encompassing nearly all areas of chest surgical disease, benign and malignant.
Our team of surgeons provides surgical care to a large geographic area through our partnership with the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, North York General Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital where all patients who require thoracic procedures are sent to MGH for their surgery but are offered consultation services ad postoperative follow-up at their home hospitals in their communities. The division has won two Innovation Awards from Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) for their work on rapid access to care and treatment.
Our team of experienced and caring surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists and anesthesiologists provides elective and urgent care to patients in our community and far beyond by working as a team to ensure timely, advanced and compassionate care.
Areas of Expertise
Hundreds of thoracic surgery procedures are performed at Michael Garron Hospital yearly with a focus on minimally invasive surgery (VATS and laparoscopic surgery) individualized as per patient need particularly relating to thoracic oncology (cancer surgery).
Services
- Bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)
- Gastroscopy, stent insertion
- Mediastinoscopy
- Thoracoscopy (VATS)
- Thoracotomy
- Sternotomy (mediastinal tumours)
- Esophagectomy
- Biopsies
- Wedge excisions
Clinics and Diagnostic Services
The thoracic surgery service features three Diagnostic Assessment Clinics (DAU’s) that provide well supported timely care for our cancer patients with nurse navigators dedicated to facilitating the patient care journey. DAU’s are set up at MGH, Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Royal Victoria Hospital and Cancer Centre in Barrie respectively bringing cancer care closer to home for our patients and their families. The Chest Centre at MGH runs clinics almost all days of the week to ensure prompt initial consultations.
Referral to our DAU’s and clinics at the Chest Centre is simple. Referrals can be made to the Thoracic Team or to individual surgeons if so desired.
