Groundbreaking procedures, state-of-the-art facilities and some of the world’s most experienced, renowned and patient-driven thoracic surgeons set UAB’s Department of Thoracic Surgical Services apart from any other facility in the region.
International Pioneer and Revolutionary Advances
UAB has been one of the world’s most respected centers for heart and lung transplants and other treatment for end-stage heart disease for decades. The late Dr. John W. Kirklin was an international pioneer in open heart surgery and noted for many improvements in the field, such as refinement of the heart-lung machine.
Dr. Kirklin's son, Dr. James K. Kirklin, is now director of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Under his direction, the UAB Heart and Lung Transplant Program is still leading international research and revolutionary advances in the field. Among research underway are ways to better management and treatment for adult and pediatric transplant cases across the country. UAB surgeons and researchers are also collecting data to be used to study using mechanical circulatory devices (artificial hearts) as a permanent therapy rather than just a bridge to transplantation.
UAB’s adult thoracic surgeons are also known as some of the world’s leaders in detection, classification and treatment of non-small cell carcinoma of the lung. UAB has helped lead the way to make PET scans the standard of care, along with using thorocotomies, to more accurately stage how advanced a cancer has become. Those methods also provide more accurate determinations to whether a lesion is actually cancerous. Pre-operative integrated PET/CAT scans are also common practice at UAB for the same reasons.
Survival Rates Higher Than the National Average for Early Stage Lung Cancer
UAB’s thoracic surgeons have a 75-80 percent survival rate for early stage lung cancer – higher than the national average of around 60 percent. That’s due in part to the pre-operative staging tests and also due to the fact that all lymph nodes are removed during surgery, with no increased complications, rather than the more common practice of performing a biopsy on just a few.
Surgical Techniques that Reduce Pain and Shorten Hospital Stays
UAB is a leader in video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Such improvements and advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques are reducing pain and shortening hospital stays for patients, too. The average length of stay is just three-to-four days after having undergone procedures such as thoracotomies, segmentectomies, lobectomies and wedges. The average length of stay is just two days for rigid bronchoscopy with photodynamic therapy – and UAB is the only facility in the region offering that treatment.
A Destination for Patients Across the Nation and Around the World
UAB is the only facility in the region offering bronchial stent placement and tracheal dilation/stent placement. Dr. Robert Cerfolio also employs the novel technique of using laser surgery for tumors that have grown into the airway. Such innovative minimally invasive surgical techniques mean his patients often avoid a stay in the intensive care unit, making them and their families happier. Patients are usually up and doing therapy the day after surgery with UAB’s top staff of physical and respiratory therapists. Many patients come to UAB from all over the United States and from other countries because of these techniques.