CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
Heart, lung, and esophageal illnesses primarily affect the heart, lungs, and thoracic (chest) organs, and are treated by the specialty of cardiothoracic surgery. Since the Second World War, this field of medicine, which is still relatively new, has experienced significant growth. The first successful open-heart surgery utilizing a heart-lung machine took place in 1953. The duration and complexity of procedures often require the use of cutting-edge technologies both during surgery and in the patient's post-operative intensive therapy.