The Thoracic Surgery Service is dedicated to the study and, fundamentally, the surgical treatment of pathological processes that affect the thorax, both the inner and the outer containing parts; i.e., the thoracic wall, pleura, lung, mediastinum, tracheobronchial tree, oesophagus and diaphragm.
It is responsible for the anatomical-functional structure of the thorax based on etiopathogenesis, physiopathology, clinical practice, and diagnostic and surgical methodology, with the exception of diseases of the heart and large blood vessels. It also includes the pathology of organs in outlying regions, such as cervical and subdiaphragmatic conditions, where a disease can affect the thorax.
The pathology most often treated in the service of Thoracic Surgery of the IVO is the thoracic oncology, still the most common lung cancer
The scope of the thoracic surgeon ranges from the implementation of interventions aimed at the diagnosis and staging of this pathology and, mainly, surgical therapy, consisting of the resection of part or all of lung (lobectomy, bilobectomy, pneumonectomy) with the excision of the lymphatic chains (lymphadenectomy), which can be extended to the viscera or mediastinal chest wall, diaphragm and spine.
The multidisciplinary treatment with preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy has allowed for more aggressive resections in the case of locally advanced tumours, a situation that was considered surgically intractable until just a few years ago.
IELCAP Early Detection Unit
Early diagnosis to detect lung cancer in the early stages of the disease is very important, as it allows surgical treatment, or a combination of less aggressive therapies, to be considered to improve a patient’s chances of survival.
The IVO has the IELCAP Early Detection Unit, which carries out early diagnosis of asymptomatic lung cancer in people at risk by means of periodic multislice CT scans.
Lung tumour committee
This department is part of the Lung Tumour Committee, comprising a multidisciplinary team of professionals who evaluate and define the optimal therapeutic strategy for each patient and the combination of therapies suitable for treating lung cancer: surgery, radiotherapy and systemic treatments.
Other Sections of Thoracic Surgery
Continual technological advancements have made it possible to expand preoperative evaluation and diagnostic methods, contributing decisively to the development of thoracic surgery.
All this has an impact on other areas of this speciality, such as tracheobronchial surgery, oesophageal surgery and new endoscopic methods (Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery – VATS, Videomediastinoscopy, Endobronchial Ultrasound – EBUS), etc.).
Da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgery
The IVO is equipped with the latest da Vinci Xi system, and is one of the few Spanish hospitals to have the complete set of equipment.
Cancer-related interventions are the most complex surgical procedures, and robotic technology offers great advantages for both the patient and the surgeon.
Thoracic Surgery Department Medical Team
Head of Service
Associated Doctors
Dr. Miguel Jesús Arraras Martínez
Dr. Karol Elizabeth de Aguiar Quevedo