The Thoracic Surgery section at the University of Utah has been a growing and evolving portion of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division. Our Section Head, Dr. Thomas Varghese, has now been here at the University of Utah for six years, and has spearheaded the growth of the division. Dr. John Stringham arrived in 2017, and this last year Dr. Brian Mitzman was added as a third attending surgeon.
The Thoracic Section has developed a focus on innovation in patient care. Thoracic Surgical Oncology has been the mainstay of the division, with the section mainly housed at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Dr. Varghese has led the way in this regard, with NIH-funded research in speeding recovery after cancer surgery. Another focus has been on the use of Robotics in thoracic surgery. All three surgeons are proficient in the use of robotics, and the robotic case volume and complexity has grown steadily in the past four years. As well, the thoracic division maintains an active chest wall disorders practice, treating anything form simple rib fractures to congenital chest wall disorders to thoracic outlet syndrome.
The growth of the Thoracic Section could not have occurred without the support of our dedicated staff. Gina Birt and Brooke Wallace are the excellent clinical nurses for the section, and serve as liaisons to the patients. The administrative and scheduling tasks are performed by Kayla Benson and Cassidy Garner. The entire team allows us to have outstanding outcomes for our patients through innovative and personalized care.