Cardiothoracic Surgery refers to operations that treat diseases affecting the heart (cardio) and lungs (thoracic).

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Mesothelioma, lung cancer, Congenital heart disease, lung disease, pectus excavatum, thymoma, Aortic aneurysm, cardiovascular disease, Esophageal carcinoma, Pulmonary metastases, Chest wall tumors, esophageal diseases, Tracheal tumors, Malignant pleural effusions, and thoracic neoplasms.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Lobectomy, Mediastinoscopy, mitral valve replacement, lung transplantation, Ventricular assist device, lung volume reduction, Aortic dissection, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Mitral valve repair, Heart Transplantation, Miniminally invasive surgery (MIS), Ventricular Restoration (Dor Procedure), Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS), Bullectomy, arrhythmia surgery, and thoracic aorta repairs.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including biopsy, x-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Upper GI (Barium Swallow), Computed Axial Tomography (CT or CAT Scan), and physicial examination.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. California has 464 practicing cardiothoracic surgeons. Broken out by city, cardiothoracic surgery doctor density in Alhambra is 2, in Anaheim is 4, in Antioch is 1, in Apple Valley is 1, in Bakersfield is 11, in Bellflower is 2, in Berkeley is 4, in Burbank is 3, in Burlingame is 2, in Campbell is 1, in Chico is 4, in Chula Vista is 3, in Concord is 1, in Covina is 4, in Culver City is 1, in Daly City is 5, in Downey is 1, in Duarte is 3, in El Cajon is 1, in Escondido is 3, in Fontana is 2, in Fountain Valley is 2, in Fremont is 4, in Fresno is 7, in Fullerton is 3, in Glendale is 11, in Glendora is 1, in Hayward is 4, in Hemet is 1, in Huntington Park is 2, in Inglewood is 5, in Irvine is 4, in La Habra is 1, in La Mesa is 2, in Lake Forest is 2, in Lancaster is 3, in Larkspur is 1, in Lodi is 2, in Loma Linda is 10, in Long Beach is 15, in Los Alamitos is 2, in Los Angeles is 77, in Los Gatos is 2, in Lynwood is 6, in Madera is 1, in Marysville is 2, in Mission Viejo is 2, in Modesto is 4, in Monterey is 1, in Moreno Valley is 1, in Mountain View is 3, in Napa is 2, in National City is 1, in Newport Beach is 6, in Oakland is 15, in Oceanside is 4, in Orange is 10, in Oxnard is 5, in Palm Desert is 1, in Palm Springs is 6, in Palo Alto is 18, in Paramount is 1, in Pasadena is 10, in Petaluma is 1, in Pismo Beach is 2, in Pomona is 5, in Rancho Mirage is 3, in Redding is 2, in Redwood City is 5, in Riverside is 8, in Roseville is 1, in Sacramento is 28, in Salinas is 2, in San Bernardino is 1, in San Diego is 26, in San Francisco is 40, in San Jose is 6, in San Mateo is 1, in San Ramon is 1, in Santa Ana is 3, in Santa Barbara is 2, in Santa Clara is 2, in Santa Cruz is 2, in Santa Monica is 5, in Santa Rosa is 7, in Simi Valley is 1, in South Lake Tahoe is 1, in South San Francisco is 2, in Stockton is 8, in Sunnyvale is 1, in Thousand Oaks is 2, in Torrance is 6, in Upland is 3, in Victorville is 1, in Visalia is 6, in Vista is 1, in Walnut Creek is 5, in West Covina is 2, in West Hollywood is 2, and in Whittier is 4.

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.