The Department of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, has a long history of excellence and innovation. Under the leadership of Chairman Robert S. D. Higgins, MD, the department continues to maintain its commitments to excellence in three vital missions: patient care, teaching and research.

Working in state-of-the art facilities, using some of the world’s most sophisticated technology, Rush cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons are on the leading edge of diagnosis, treatment and discovery. They performed Chicago’s first successful heart transplant nearly four decades ago. They were first in the state to use the biventricular pacemaker, and the first in Chicago to implant the DeBakey pump as a bridge for people awaiting heart transplantation. And they have pioneered minimally invasive surgical techniques that give new hope to patients who would not be candidates for traditional heart or lung surgery.

Rush offers a full range of standard and advanced surgical treatments for heart and vascular conditions. Our services also include one of the city’s finest thoracic surgery programs. Our surgeons provide the following:

Surgical care for people with heart disease: Procedures include standard and advanced techniques for coronary artery bypass surgery, valve replacement and repair, and minimally invasive off-pump cardiac surgery.

Transplant services: Rush has one of the region’s most experienced cardiac transplant teams, offering advanced medical and surgical care at every stage of the procedure. To improve survival during the wait for heart transplantation, some patients receive mechanical pumps—called left ventricular assist devices (LVADs)—that help the heart pump and maintain blood circulation. The Rush team is skilled in the surgical implantation of these devices, as well as the long-term care of LVAD patients awaiting transplant.

Vascular surgery: Care includes treatment for peripheral vascular disease, aneurysms, aortic dissection and carotid artery disease. Vascular surgeons at Rush are key players in one of Chicago’s most innovative vascular disease programs. This program pools the talents of cardiologists, cerebrovascular neurologists, interventional radiologists, neurosurgeons and vascular surgeons to offer every available option to patients with blocked carotid arteries.

Thoracic surgery: The thoracic surgery program at Rush offers skilled care for patients with both benign and cancerous chest and lung conditions. Treatment includes use of leading-edge techniques, including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and other minimally invasive surgical techniques, to relieve symptoms in patients who have lung and esophageal cancer.

Robert S. D. Higgins, MD, is chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery. Several surgeons in the program have been named among Chicago’s — and the country’s — best by Castle Connolly Ltd., a well-respected source of information on U.S. health care providers and institutions. Heart surgery patients at Rush also receive unparalleled care, including the latest in patient education, from a nursing staff that is among the country’s few to earn the prestigious “Magnet Award” for excellence in nursing—the highest honor awarded by the American Nurses Association.