Welcome to Thoracic Surgery

Thoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian is dedicated to the delivery of the highest quality and advanced care to patients with diseases of the lung, trachea, esophagus, chest wall and mediastinum. Read More.

Learn about the Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Research Center

NewYork-Presbyterian & Weill Cornell Medicine – Cardiothoracic Surgery

Conditions & Treatments

Our Surgeons

Nasser K. Altorki, M.D.

Jeffrey L. Port, M.D.

Jonathan Villena-Vargas, M.D.

Sebron W. Harrison, M.D.

Benjamin E. Lee, M.D.

Oliver S. Chow, M.D.

Interventional Pulmonologists

Muhammad S. Ali, M.B.B.S.

Eugene Shostak, M.D.

FAQs & Patient Guides

Weill Cornell Medicine Cardiothoracic Surgery 525 East 68th Street
Box 110
Suite M 404 New York, NY 10065 Directions
Phone: (212) 746-5166 Email: ctsurgery@med.cornell.edu

News

Pulmonologists Diagnose a Rare Respiratory Condition and Save a Patient’s Life

Arlene Packles had a violent cough. It didn’t sound quite human. It was like a seal’s bark or a car engine in trouble. And a round of coughing could last for an entire hour.

Packles’ illness began in 2020, just when the COVID-19 pandemic began its inexorable sweep across the country. A woman with a severe cough wasn’t unusual back then. The novel coronavirus—SARS-CoV-2—tended to push other respiratory conditions to the margins, at least at first. But there was another reason why it took a while for the 73-year-old from Bergen County, New Jersey, to find her way to a diagnosis.

Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) is under-recognized by the pulmonary community, says Dr. Eugene Shostak, an Assistant Professor of Interventional Pulmonology who co-directs Weill Cornell’s TBM program with Dr. Oliver Chow, an Assistant Attending Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.

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WCM Redefines Lung Cancer Treatment with Streamlined Diagnosis and Surgery

Dr. Eugene Shostak . jonathan villena-vargas, thoracic surgery, lung cancer surgeon

For patients diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, the journey from detection to treatment has traditionally been a prolonged and intricate process. However, Weill Cornell Medicine has introduced an innovative approach that is streamlining the field of lung cancer care. Led by thoracic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Villena-Vargas and interventional pulmonologist Dr. Eugene Shostak, this innovative technique aims to simplify the diagnosis and surgical treatment of lung tumors, providing patients with a more efficient and effective healthcare experience.

The new combined procedure, offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to lung cancer management. By combining cutting-edge technology, unified anesthetic administration, and seamless diagnostic and surgical capabilities, patients now benefit from a rational pathway that consolidates multiple procedures into a single session.

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Doing More With Less in Lung Cancer Surgery

Patients with stage 1A non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who undergo surgery to remove a small portion of their lung have outcomes comparable to patients who have surgery removing an entire lobe, according to recent study results. Read More