The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery features the expertise of more than 35 cardiothoracic surgeons and 170 professional staff members across four divisions.
The Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, led by Division Chief Dr. Ryan M. Levy, is one of the highest-volume and most recognizable centers in the world for thoracic surgery, including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted approaches to benign and malignant disease of the lung and esophagus. The Division is internationally recognized for contributing several landmark studies that have reshaped the landscape of academic thoracic surgery.
The Division of Cardiac Surgery, led by Chief Dr. Ibrahim Sultan, surgically manages the full spectrum of routine to complex cardiac disease, including coronary, valvular, aortic, and heart failure and utilizes the latest technology including robotic and minimally invasive approaches. The program is recognized as one of the most high-volume aortic centers in the world and maintains our proud legacy of innovation in transplantation, including combined organ and donation after cardiac death heart transplantation.
The Division of Lung Transplant/Lung Failure, led by Division Chief Pablo G. Sanchez, MD, PhD, is one of the most experienced lung transplant centers in the world, having performed over 2,000 single or double lung transplants and combined heart/lung transplants. As cardiothoracic transplantation continues to evolve, this Division is home to a robust basic science research effort focusing on ex vivo lung perfusion.
The Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery is part of the world-renowned Heart Institute at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, the #8 ranked Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Surgery Program in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The Division is recognized by the Society for Thoracic Surgeons as a 3-star program across all index cases, one of only seven programs to achieve this nationally.