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. Connecticut has 77 practicing cardiothoracic surgeons. Broken out by city, cardiothoracic surgery doctor density in Avon is 4, in Bloomfield is 1, in Branford is 6, in Bridgeport is 4, in Cheshire is 3, in Danbury is 2, in East Hampton is 1, in East Hartford is 1, in East Haven is 1, in Fairfield is 4, in Farmington is 8, in Greenwich is 4, in Groton is 1, in Guilford is 1, in Hamden is 4, in Hartford is 23, in Manchester is 1, in Meriden is 3, in Middlebury is 1, in Middletown is 1, in Monroe is 1, in New Britain is 2, in New Haven is 21, in New London is 2, in New Milford is 1, in Newington is 1, in Norwalk is 5, in Norwich is 2, in Orange is 1, in Shelton is 1, in Somers is 1, in Stamford is 3, in Trumbull is 1, in Vernon is 1, in Vernon Rockville is 3, in Wallingford is 2, in Waterbury is 4, in Waterford is 1, in Weatogue is 2, in West Hartford is 1, in Westbrook is 1, and in Willimantic is 1.

This New England state is one of the original 13 states; Connecticut’s capital is Hartford and its population is 3,510,297. This state is steeped in history. Visit the past at the Nathan Hale Homestead near New London, or Yale University in New Haven. Tour the home of Mark Twain, the New England Air Museum, or the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. Explore a historic tobacco farming area, do some hiking and biking, or visit the numerous antique shops or lighthouses in the eastern coastal area.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Connecticut has a population of 3,510,297. Of this population, 812,182 are under the age of 18 and 472,089 are at or above the age of 65.