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Cardiothoracic Surgery (Heart and Lung Surgery)

Need Immediate Care?
For emergency services, call 911.

For non-emergency walk-in care, try an ExpressCARE location.
Need help scheduling or have a question?
Call 888-402-LVHN (5846).

The team of cardiothoracic surgeons with Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute use minimally invasive robotic procedures to perform highly complex surgeries on the chest, lungs and esophagus.

Need Immediate Care?
For emergency services, call 911.

For non-emergency walk-in care, try an ExpressCARE location.
Need help scheduling or have a question?
Call 888-402-LVHN (5846).

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Page Hierarchy

  1. Services and Treatments
  2. Cardiothoracic Surgery (Heart and Lung Surgery)

When possible, the cardiothoracic surgical team at Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute performs surgery via small incisions and without the need for spreading the ribs. This approach speeds your recovery and offers excellent results. The Heart and Vascular Institute is one of the largest heart institutes in Pennsylvania. Our surgeons perform more than 900 heart surgeries every year.
 

Cardiothoracic surgery at the Heart and Vascular Institute.

Dedicated institutes of care

Your care team of cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists, pulmonologists, oncologists and other specialists partners with experts from Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence and Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute to provide advanced, personalized diagnosis and treatments.

Experts in minimally invasive procedures

Our highly skilled cardiothoracic team is led by nationally renowned thoracic surgeon Richard Chang, MD, who is an expert in minimally invasive thoracic procedures. 

Comprehensive treatments

We offer the latest treatments for lung cancer, esophageal cancer, GERD, chest tumors, and other diseases of the chest, lung and esophagus. 

Heart and lung services

Specialists at our cardiac rehab and pulmonary rehab programs help you strengthen your heart and lungs after surgery, so you can safely return to active living.

Advanced treatment options

Robotic Thoracic (Lung) Surgery

Precision lung surgery is always our goal. Robotically-assisted thoracic surgery performed by our thoracic surgeon using the da Vinci® Xi robotic surgery system helps achieve that outcome with smaller and fewer incisions.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm repair

Your doctor places a mesh structure called a stent graft to prevent an aneurysm rupture. The stent graft supports the weakened or bulging section of the aorta located in your chest.

Heart valve replacement

Your doctor replaces a damaged heart valve with a mechanical valve or a biological valve made from heart tissue taken from a pig (porcine) or cow (bovine). 

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)

Your doctor uses a thoracoscope (tiny camera) and surgical instruments to perform lung surgery via small incisions in your chest.

Lobectomy

Your surgeon removes an entire lobe from a diseased lung. Thoracic surgeon Richard Chang, MD, performed Philadelphia’s first robotic lobectomy in 2010.

Esophagectomy

Your doctor removes cancerous or diseased sections of the esophagus, and then reconstructs the missing section using part of your stomach or intestine.

Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication

To alleviate acid buildup and pressure caused from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), your doctor wraps part of your stomach around the bottom of your esophagus.

Video-assisted pleurodesis

Your surgeon uses a thoracoscope (tiny camera) to guide insertion of a catheter into the chest to drain fluid. Your doctor may also inject medicine into the chest to prevent fluid buildup.

Heart surgery

When needed, we partner with cardiac surgeons to perform heart surgeries.

Types of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Heart and Lung Surgery)

  • Heart Surgery (Cardiac Surgery)
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U.S. News & World Report ranks Lehigh Valley Hospital 40th in the country for pulmonology and lung surgery.

Nationally recognized lung care

Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) ranks 40th in the nation for pulmonology and lung surgery on the 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list. Additionally, U.S. News rates LVH as high performing in aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and care for conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and stroke.

Read more about U.S. News & World Report

Our surgeons

Richard S. Chang, MD

Chief, Section of Thoracic Surgery
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Thoracic Surgery (Lung Surgery)
Thoracic Surgical Oncology (Lung Cancer Surgery)

Jeffrey S. Veluz, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery
Heart Surgery

Ahmed R. Nassar, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Laszlo Fuzesi, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Sanjay M. Mehta, MD

Division of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, Chief of Quality
Cardiothoracic Surgery

Timothy S. Misselbeck, MD

Chief, Section of Cardiac Surgery
Cardiothoracic Surgery

James K. Wu, MD

Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Chief, Section of Cardiac Surgery
Cardiothoracic Surgery

See a heart expert

Get excellent care at the region’s only comprehensive Heart and Vascular Institute.

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Get a second opinion

We can help many people who are told there’s nothing that can be done for their heart condition.

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Exceptional heart care at Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute

Get excellent care at the region’s largest comprehensive heart and vascular institute. You don’t take chances with a heart condition. You head straight for the best possible care. Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute is achieving amazing results every day, results that save more lives.
Make an appointment

Related Conditions

Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Aortic Aneurysm
Aortic Valve Disease
Aortic Valve Regurgitation
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal Diseases
Heart tumor
Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm (TAA)
Mitral Valve Disease
Mitral Valve Regurgitation
Mitral Valve Stenosis

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