Lung and chest surgeryLife-altering care

If you are looking for a comprehensive care team led by extraordinary lung and chest surgeons, UW Health is the place to turn for life-altering care. From lung cancer surgery to lung transplants, our team can design a plan to help you breathe easier.

Overview

Expert care to help you breathe easy

Conditions affecting your chest can lead to pain or difficulty swallowing and breathing. The experts at UW Health offer advanced treatments — including new devices and surgeries — for disorders and diseases that occur in your chest.

Programs and research

Comprehensive lung care

Conditions and treatments

Conditions we treat

Your chest includes your ribs and breastbone, as well as your heart, lungs and esophagus. Though the heart is a major part of the chest, not all chest conditions affect the heart. 

The thoracic surgery team at UW Health treats many chest disorders and diseases affecting the airway, chest wall, diaphragm, esophagus and lungs. Conditions we treat include:

  • Achalasia

  • Airway disease 

  • Barrett’s esophagus

  • Bochdalek hernias

  • Bronchogenic cysts

  • Chest wall deformities (pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum)

  • Chest wall tumors

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

  • Cystic fibrosis 

  • Diaphragm eventration

  • Diaphragm paralysis

  • Diffuse esophageal spasm

  • Emphysema 

  • Empyema

  • Esophageal cancer

  • Esophageal diverticula

  • Esophageal motility disorders

  • Esophageal perforation

  • Esophageal strictures

  • Failed anti-reflux surgery

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

  • Germ cell tumors

  • Hiatal hernias

  • Hyperhidrosis

  • Interstitial lung disease

  • Lung cancer

  • Lung nodules

  • Lymphoma

  • Mediastinal mass

  • Mediastinal tumors

  • Mesothelioma

  • Morgagni hernias

  • Myasthenia gravis

  • Paraesophageal hernias

  • Pericardial cysts

  • Phrenic nerve paralysis 

  • Pleural effusion

  • Primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension 

  • Pulmonary fibrosis

  • Pulmonary thromboembolic disease

  • Respiratory failure

  • Sternoclavicular joint pain/arthritis and infection

  • Thoracic outlet syndrome 

  • Thymic cancer

  • Thymoma

  • Tracheal strictures

  • Tracheal masses/tumors

  • Tracheobronchomalacia

  • Traumatic diaphragm hernias

Meet our team

Specialized care for complex conditions

UW Health’s thoracic surgeons offer expert diagnosis and treatment for rare and complex conditions affecting the lungs and chest.

Locations

Evaluation, treatment and follow-up

Our thoracic surgery team provides care at the Thoracic Surgery Clinic at University Hospital in Madison.