What is a thoracic surgeon?

A thoracic surgeon is a medical professional who specializes in performing surgery on organs within the cardiothoracic cavity (chest area). This includes the heart, lungs, and other parts of the circulatory and respiratory systems. It doesn’t usually extend down to the stomach or up past the throat. Your job duties are to monitor your patient for health conditions during the operation while performing procedures like a bypass or a transplant. A thoracic surgeon has to undergo extensive education before being allowed to operate on patients.