two doctors wearing teal scrubs stand in an operating room
About Thoracic Surgery

At the U-M Medical School Section of Thoracic Surgery, we’re proud of our rich history as we continue to lead the way for the future of our specialty.

Our goal is to be a worldwide leader in thoracic clinical care, to train the next generation of surgeons and surgical scientists, and to perform advanced basic science and translational research to improve the lives of our patients.

Patient Care

We provide comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients with surgical diseases of the chest, including malignant and benign tumors of the lung, esophagus and ribs, gastroesophageal reflux and its complications, and neuromotor esophageal abnormalities. We are leaders in esophageal and complex lung cancer surgery, with a focus on minimal access surgery, including using the da Vinci platform, a surgical technique that can shorten patient recovery time and reduce pain. We have one of the most robust thoracic robotic surgery programs in the country.

Learn more about our approach to patient care

Education

Graduates of our training programs go on to take leadership roles in the field, finding success in both private practice and academic medicine. We offer two residency programs — a 2-year fellowship program and an integrated 6-year thoracic residency with our partners in the Department of Cardiac Surgery. Trainees develop expertise in surgical care of adult cardiac, general thoracic and congenital cardiac diseases.

Explore our education programs

Research

From early detection and personalized therapies for lung and esophageal cancer to the novel use of imaging technologies to assess surgical patients’ preoperative health, Michigan thoracic surgeons connect biomedical breakthroughs to practical applications to improve lives. Our research efforts include lung reconditioning using ex-vivo lung perfusion prior to transplantation; RNA sequencing to provide early cancer diagnosis; and development of an artificial lung that could serve as an alternative to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Discover how we improve lives through research

Alumni

Stay connected to the community of Michigan thoracic surgeons as you mature your career and share your knowledge with others.

We welcome alumni engagement, and invite you to join us for a tour, a special event, or a social hour at an upcoming conference. As one of the oldest thoracic surgery training programs in the country, we’re proud of the excellence of our alumni as they influence the direction of the specialty across the country. Keeping in touch also means you benefit from mentorship and networking opportunities, and staying on top of the latest advances and technologies in surgical care for thoracic diseases.

Find more ways to connect to the Department of Surgery

Michigan Promise

The Michigan Promise aims to empower faculty members and residents in the Department of Surgery to achieve professional success. We support initiatives connected to environment, recruitment, leadership, achievement, innovation and outreach.

Learn more about our Michigan Promise
Support Surgery

Your contribution helps us research medical breakthroughs, make medicine more inclusive and train the next generation of surgical leaders.

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Featured News & Stories See all news 2024 Doximity General Surgery 1 in Nation v1.jpg
Department News
Two Michigan Medicine surgery residency programs are top in the nation in latest Doximity rankings
The 2024-2025 Doximity Residency Navigator rankings are out, and the Department of Surgery continues to excel in its commitment to providing a high-quality training experience for its residents.
woman laying down and sheet over going into surgery
Health Lab
Older women more likely to receive heart surgery, die at low quality hospitals
Women over the age of 65 who require complex heart surgery are more likely than men to receive care at low quality hospitals — where they also die in greater numbers following the procedure, a Michigan Medicine study finds.
Grace Kim smiling for the camera standing in a hallway
Department News
What makes a great clinical surgery educator? Faculty and residents weigh in
Surgeons often gravitate toward a particular pillar of the academic surgical mission. Some shine in research, others are at home in the operating room, and some thrive as teachers. That third pillar, education, is as critical as the others to prepare surgical trainees for future independent practice.
Two people looking at a poster presentation
Department News
2024 Moses Gunn Research Conference highlights
The Department of Surgery held the 35th annual Moses Gunn Research Conference on June 7 at the Michigan League to showcase the cutting-edge surgical research happening within the department. To participate, residents, medical students, and other researchers submitted abstracts of their work to be considered for a poster or an oral presentation at the conference.
Aerial view of U-M Health and surrounding in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Department News
Meet the Michigan Medicine 2024 Surgery Intern Class
We are so thrilled to introduce our new class of surgery interns! Get to know them here and be ready to give them a Go Blue welcome when you see them in the halls and operating rooms this summer.
Blurred image of health care professionals in blue scrubs pushing a gurney down a hallway
Health Lab
Primary care scarcity linked to more surgical emergencies, problems
Patients living in areas with the worst shortages of primary care providers are more likely to have emergency surgery, surgical complications and hospital readmissions.