Thoracic
The thoracic spine is the region of the human spinal column that is found between the cervical and lumbar spines. It spans from the base of the neck to the middle back and
each vertebra is connected to a pair of ribs that form the wall of the thoracic cavity.
Besides aiding in respiration, the ribs serve to protect many vital organs of various
bodily systems such as the respiratory (lungs, bronchi, diaphragm), cardiovascular
(heart and its branches), and digestive (oesophagus) systems.
The medical specialty that is involved in treating the thoracic cavity is known as
thoracic medicine though due to its location and function, it is also sometimes known
as chest, pulmonary (relating to lungs), or respiratory medicine. While thoracic
medicine primarily treats conditions related to the lungs and chest wall, it is common
for a thoracic specialist to collaborate with other specialists such as an oncologist or
cardiovascular surgeon to provide a well-rounded treatment.
Your doctor may refer you to a thoracic specialist if you exhibit symptoms like
breathlessness, coughing or wheezing, or an abnormal chest x-ray that require further
investigation. In such appointments, your thoracic specialist may examine your chest
and obtain tissue and fluid samples before referring you for further diagnostic tests or
to other specialists. At Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, our thoracic surgery
specialists are equipped with cutting-edge technology to perform minimally invasive
procedures using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), where a tiny camera
is inserted through a small incision in the chest wall, allowing the surgeon to view and
perform procedures within the chest cavity.
- Lung cancer
- Other tumours
- Tumours may develop in any of the thoracic cavity structures such as
the spine, ribs, respiratory muscles, mediastinum, and trachea though
not all forms are cancerous.
- Oesophageal conditions
- Barrett’s oesophagus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),
oesophageal stricture, achalasia
- Tracheal disorders
- Tracheal stenosis, tracheoesophageal fistula, trachea-gastric fistula
- Congenital lung diseases
- Cystic fibrosis, lung malformation
- Collapsed lung
- Pneumothorax, atelectasis
- Chest wall deformity
- Pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum
- Herniation
- Diaphragmatic hernia, hiatic hernia
- Interstitial lung disease, a group of disorders resulting in irreversible lung scarring
- Myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disorder resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles
- Pulmonary fibrosis, the damage and scarring of lung tissue
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm, the widening of a weakened aortic wall
- Dysphagia, difficulty swallowing
- Emphysema, shortness of breath due to damage of alveoli
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Hyperhidrosis
- Lung surgery
- Lobectomy, pneumonectomy, wedge resection, lung transplant, lung volume reduction, bleb resection, decortication
- Oesophageal surgery
- Oesophagectomy, Heller myotomy, Nissen fundoplication, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), oesophageal diverticulectomy, Collis-Belsey fundoplication
- Tracheal surgery
- Tracheostomy, tracheal resection, tracheal stenting, carinal resection
- Chest wall reconstruction
- Nuss procedure, pectus excavatum surgery, Ravitch procedure, chest wall resection
- Diaphragm repair
- Diaphragm plication, diaphragmatic hernia repair, hiatal hernia repair
- Endoscopic examination
- Mediastinoscopy, thoracoscopy, bronchoscopy
- Thymectomy, removal of the thymus gland
- Mediastinotomy, incision of the mediastinum
- Heart transplant
- Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy