Department of Thoracic Surgery in Tokuda Hospital Sofia – profile and medical solutions

The general thoracic surgical (GTS) department presents a modern, centralized, specialized, scientifically based and cutting edge technology equipped unit in the newest, but leading elite hospital in Bulgaria.

The GTS services are based upon its medical team’s knowledge, technical skill and decisive judgment required to accurately diagnose and surgically manage diseases of the thorax (chest). The team’s knowledge base includes, but is not limited to, diseases of the chest wall, pleura, lungs, trachea and bronchi, mediastinum, diaphragm and esophagus.

Our GTS specialists possess excellent surgical skill and in-depth knowledge of physiology, diagnostic medical imaging, organ function testing, semi-invasive and invasive examinations, pre-operative evaluation, postoperative care, critical care, trauma, oncology and transplantation. Additionally, the multidisciplinary treatment approach enriches the GTS medical services as they collaborate with other medical specialty teams to solve complex medical problems.

Clinical Competence

The main competence of the GTS department lies in team’s involvement in entire treatment process including pre-, intra- and postoperative care for patients with thoracic diseases. This includes comprehensive examinations and investigation of the patient’s full medical profile to support the individualized surgical decision-making process for each and every patient. Central to this process is maintaining a highly specialized operating team to perform the specific procedure on each individual and to see him/her through the postoperative period.

The competence of our thoracic surgeons is based upon quality, decisive solutions, and skilled management of thoracic medical problems. This competence is achieved by building experience actively treating thoracic diseases and implementing new techniques learned from constant participation in GTS meetings, symposiums, and congresses as well as participation in research and education.

Our GTS team is especially qualified to manage complex surgical situations that involve the organ systems detailed above. They are also qualified to assist in the management of pulmonary, pleural, esophageal, mediastinal, chest wall and tracheal problems that arise in the course of patient management by other specialists.

Surgical Competence

The department routinely conducts conventional surgery, endoscopic or (mini-invasive) video-assisted surgical procedures in children and in adults as detailed below:

  1. Operations involving resection, reconstruction, repair and biopsy of the lung

  2. Operations involving the chest wall and pluera, including resection and reconstruction for neoplasms (cancers), decortication and drainage and resection of empyemas, thoracoplasty and repair of pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum and correction of other chest wall deformities, as well as the management of traumatic chest wall instability

  3. Operations involving resection, reconstruction, suturing and repair of the trachea and bronchi due to neoplasms, stenosis and trauma

  4. Operations involving resection, reconstruction and repair of the esophagus, including laparoscopic or thoracoscopic techniques and endoscopic procedures

  5. Operations involving resection, reconstruction and repair of the diaphragm

  6. Operations involving the mediastinum, including biopsy and resection of neoplasms, drainage of infections, mediastinal lymphadenectomy, mediastinotomy and mediastinoscopy

  7. Mini-invasive operations of the pericardium involving resection, reconstruction and drainage

  8. Endoscopic procedures using both flexible and rigid optical equipment for the tracheobronchial tree and esophagus (bronchoscopy)

  9. Operations for biopsy of the cervical, mediastinal and axillary lymph nodes

  10. Operations on the thoracic sympathetic nerves

  11. Corrective surgery treatment for upper thoracic aperture syndrome

  12. Operations for management of pleural and pleural space problems, including thoracocentesis, tube thoracostomy, shunting for pleural effusion, management of pneumothorax, pleurectomy

  13. Operations for functional corrections and managing the complications of emphysema

  14. Operations involving transplantation of one or two lungs or lobes, including all diagnostic and  therapeutic  procedures related to the procedures

  15. Operations for traumatic injuries to the chest or to organs within the chest and their  complications.

  16. Operation on vascular structures, related to the management of any pathology treated within the field of GTS.

  17. Management of the complications of the above procedures, as necessary by further specific thoracic procedures

  18. Operations for benign and malignant growths of the mammary gland. Reconstructive operations of the breast

  19. Comprehensive operations for benign and malignant diseases of the thyroid gland