Thymectomy and Other Thoracic Surgeries

Emory's thoracic surgeons provide advanced minimally invasive and robotic surgeries for conditions in the chest, diaphragm and abdomen area.

Sympathectomy

People who experience excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) may benefit from a sympathectomy. In this surgical procedure, we remove a portion of the sympathetic nerve. This nerve runs down the back and inside the chest.

Diaphragm Plication

Your diaphragm is a muscle that separates your thorax (chest) and abdomen. It helps you breathe by giving your lungs space to expand. If your diaphragm is the wrong shape or becomes paralyzed, you may need surgery. Our thoracic surgeons offer open and minimally invasive robotic diaphragm plication. During this procedure, surgeons stitch the diaphragm to repair or tighten the area that’s no longer working properly.

Thymectomy

Your thymus gland is a gland near your heart that produces white blood cells. These cells help your body fight infection. If your thymus gland doesn’t work right, you can develop a condition called myasthenia gravis. This autoimmune disorder causes muscle weakness. Emory thoracic surgeons offer thymectomy (thymus removal) to treat myasthenia gravis. We also perform thymectomy to treat thymus cancer (thymoma).

Mediastinal Mass Resection or Biopsy

Mediastinal masses are tumors that form in the chest between the lungs. Some mediastinal masses are cancerous. Our skilled thoracic surgeons perform biopsies (tissue or fluid removal) to analyze mediastinal masses. We also remove mediastinal masses through surgical resection.

Chest Wall Tumor Resection

Emory Healthcare surgeons use advanced techniques to remove chest wall tumors. These masses can be cancerous or noncancerous. They form in the area of the chest that protects the heart and lungs.