Cardiothoracic surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of organs inside the thorax (the chest)—generally treatment of conditions of the heart (heart disease) and lungs (lung disease). Cardiac surgery (involving the heart and great vessels) and thoracic surgery (involving the lungs) are separate surgical specialties, except in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and in some EU countries, such as the UK and Portugal.