Thoracic Surgery

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset offers an innovative type of thoracic, or chest, surgery: Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS).

Instead of the large incisions used in traditional surgery, VATS uses one-inch incisions. Our surgeons insert a small videoscope, which projects images of the internal chest cavity onto a video monitor. This enables the surgeons to perform a full range of chest surgery procedures using special instruments. VATS offers the effectiveness of traditional chest surgery with dramatically less pain and disability.

The thoracic group at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset is one of the few groups in the state that offers a wide scope of minimally invasive techniques for many high-risk situations.

Patient Stories

  • "I was hiding for years and now I’ve shed my cocoon."

    Kathy
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  • I thought my meal plan had too much food initially. I didn’t want to hear that behaviors I felt were OK weren’t normal. But my team continued to support and teach me, even in my worst moments.

    Cassandra
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  • "I felt right at home the minute I walked through the door,” says Jesiah, recalling a sense of relief when he saw the rainbow flag hanging above the front desk. “The whole staff—from the receptionists to the nurses and doctors—were so welcoming."

    Jesiah
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Patient Stories

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