At the department, surgeries are performed for the diagnosis and surgical treatment of patients suffering from lung cancer; pulmonary emphysema - or in its full name, “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” - COPD; congenital defects and tumors in the chest wall; and to remove tumors from the mediastinum - the cavity between the lungs. Chest surgeries are performed to treat injuries caused by trauma, and for “pneumothorax” - a situation characterized by the accumulation of air around the lungs in a way that prevents their proper expansion and contraction. Other surgeries are performed to treat hyperhidrosis - for disconnection of the nerve responsible for the over-activity of the sweat glands in the body; and additional esophageal surgeries are performed as well.
The Thoracic Surgery Department is a leader in the field of thoracoscopic surgery - microinvasive surgeries performed with the help of video, and robotic chest surgeries, with no need for opening of the chest.
This field serves for the diagnosis and surgical treatment of a wide range of pathologies of the lungs and chest, including partial lung resection and lung lobectomy, resection of thymus tumors, diagnostic chest surgeries, and other procedures.
Today, the majority of the surgeries are performed in a minimally invasive manner, using an endoscope and via 2 to 4 small incisions, in a way that reduces complications, shortens the recovery time, reduces pain, and allows for a more rapid return to routine after the surgery.
The da Vinci surgical robot is used in the department operating rooms, enabling the performance of surgeries to remove tumors from the area of the mediastinum. The robot enables greater precision and access to areas that are difficult to reach using an endoscope, and further reduces complication rates and the duration of the postoperative hospitalization period.
After the surgery, patients from the department are usually hospitalized at the Intensive Care Unit or at the Recovery Unit, and later transferred to the department.
