3 answers
Christabel
Student
Fairfax, Virginia
2
Questions
Updated
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What is the difference between Thoracic and Vascular Surgery in relation to Cardiology??
I would like to be a cardiac surgeon and through my research, I have learnt about both cardiothoracic surgery as well as cardiovascular surgery but I can't find a clear distinction between the two,especially the differences and similarities .
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3 answers
Gary Starr
Physician MD
3
Answers
Reno, Nevada
Updated
Gary’s Answer
I am a physician. In addition to the general answer above, cardiac surgeons have extra training and do most of the true cardiac/ heart surgeries. Vascular surgeons do the chest, artery and vein surgeries.
Both require top notch skills and experience/ training, but cardiac surgeons need even more. Only the most incredibly skilled, with exceptional hand eye coordination and ability to think 3 dimensionally should consider such specialties, similar to neurosurgery. But, you can’t achieve such heights without dreaming, so congratulations on having such lofty goals and I wish you fantastic success!!
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Both require top notch skills and experience/ training, but cardiac surgeons need even more. Only the most incredibly skilled, with exceptional hand eye coordination and ability to think 3 dimensionally should consider such specialties, similar to neurosurgery. But, you can’t achieve such heights without dreaming, so congratulations on having such lofty goals and I wish you fantastic success!!
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Thank you, Gary for the advice.
Christabel
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1913
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Christabel !
Wow, what a fabulous question !
Thoracic Surgery deals with treating everything inside the chest. These organs include the heart, lungs, esophagus, trachea, as well as the major blood vessels. The conditions that a Thoracic Surgeon may treat are lung cancer or any lung diseases, heart disease, like coronary artery disease and valve problems, esophageal cancer and other esophageal disorders, chest trauma and injuries, heart and lung transplants and congenital malformations (birth defects) and thoracic aortic aneurysms.
On the other hand, Vascular Surgery deals with blood vessel disorders, including arteries, veins, and the lymphatic vessels. Vascular surgeons are the ones that open blocked arteries, do vein repair to improve blood circulation, treat aortic aneurysms and other blood vessel problems, work with vascular injuries, and they also do lower extremity bypass surgery to restore blood flow to the legs and feet. Both surgeons have an amazing skill !
As you can see now, many of the things that both surgeons treat can affect the heart. Our bodies are so complex that there are surgeons that have it down to a specialty like these two types of surgeons.
I am not a surgeon but I do hope this helps and simplifies it a bit for you ! Best wishes in your career pursuits !
Wow, what a fabulous question !
Thoracic Surgery deals with treating everything inside the chest. These organs include the heart, lungs, esophagus, trachea, as well as the major blood vessels. The conditions that a Thoracic Surgeon may treat are lung cancer or any lung diseases, heart disease, like coronary artery disease and valve problems, esophageal cancer and other esophageal disorders, chest trauma and injuries, heart and lung transplants and congenital malformations (birth defects) and thoracic aortic aneurysms.
On the other hand, Vascular Surgery deals with blood vessel disorders, including arteries, veins, and the lymphatic vessels. Vascular surgeons are the ones that open blocked arteries, do vein repair to improve blood circulation, treat aortic aneurysms and other blood vessel problems, work with vascular injuries, and they also do lower extremity bypass surgery to restore blood flow to the legs and feet. Both surgeons have an amazing skill !
As you can see now, many of the things that both surgeons treat can affect the heart. Our bodies are so complex that there are surgeons that have it down to a specialty like these two types of surgeons.
I am not a surgeon but I do hope this helps and simplifies it a bit for you ! Best wishes in your career pursuits !
Thank you, this is amazing! I really needed it.
Christabel
You are very welcome, Christabel !
Michelle M.
Michael J Katz MD
Orthopedic Surgery
5
Answers
Palm Beach, Florida
Updated
Michael J’s Answer
Great question! Planning ahead is always a smart move. There's a significant overlap in the medical field, especially when it comes to patient care. People are increasingly seeking less invasive procedures. You're weighing up Interventional Cardiology against Cardiac Surgery. The most intricate Structural Cardiology issues are usually handled by Cardiac Surgeons. This path involves medical school, General Surgery, and specific cardiac surgery training. You're looking at about 8 years of training after medical school. On the other hand, if you choose Cardiology, you'll need to complete medical school, 3 years of internal medicine, 3 years of cardiology, and 2 years of interventional cardiology training. The duration of training is pretty much the same. It's up to you to decide whether you prefer a medical or surgical approach. Best of luck and enjoy your exciting journey!
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Thank you for taking the time to help.
Christabel