The thoracic surgery program at Rush University Medical Center is home to Chicago's most experienced practitioners of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and pioneers in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic cancers and disease. Drawing upon the resources of Rush University Medical Center, the program offers the finest, most comprehensive multidisciplinary care for patients needing thoracic surgical intervention.

Thoracic surgeons at Rush specialize in state-of-the-art minimally invasive and traditional approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of cancerous and benign disorders of the lungs, chest wall, esophagus and diaphragm.

Our surgeons are committed to fostering a strong relationship between referring physicians, patients and patients' family members to achieve optimal results. This commitment is reflected in timely and thorough communication with all parties, coordination of services while patients are in our care, and a comprehensive follow-up plan upon discharge.

The thoracic surgery program at Rush draws upon more than 70 years of combined experience in traditional thoracic surgery and more than 15 years of combined experience in leading-edge laparoscopic surgery. Our knowledge base ensures that patients referred to our program received state-of-the-art care from some of the most experience and qualified thoracic surgical specialists in the area.

Michael J. Liptay, MD, is head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Rush. An innovator in the field, he pioneered intraoperative sentinel lymph node mapping in lung cancer surgery and is the principal investigator of a national trial studying the technique. He also has been a leader in the application of minimally invasive techniques, including video-assisted thorascopic surgery, to the treatment of lung, esophageal and mediastinal tumors.

Read biographies of Dr. Liptay and other team members.