Chest Surgical Diseases – An Awareness Program

Thoracic or chest surgery relates to treatment or surgery of all organs in the chest, except heart. This includes all surgeries of lungs i.e tuberculosis, cancers, all surgeries of rib cage i.e birth defects and deformed ribs, surgeries of the airways i.e narrowing of Trachea after ventilator support, surgeries for diseases of food pipes and stomach i.e cancers of esophagus and stomach. This also includes surgeries for cancers of throat and thyroid. There is glaring lack of awareness among public regarding need for chest surgeon and the treatment options for diseases and complications, related to chest surgery. Seemingly the diseases for chest surgery look rare but actually most of these diseases are neither diagnosed nor referred to chest surgeon in time.  

Another reason the chest surgical services are not highlighted in public is that the number of chest surgeon in Pakistan is very less as compared to the disease burden. There are about 15-20 senior chest surgeons in Pakistan. Considering all these factors there is a strong need for health awareness related to chest surgery in general public.

Complicated Pneumonia, tuberculosis and lung cancer still top the list of diseases in Pakistan. If such patients are timely referred to chest surgeons the patients can have a healthy and prolonged life in these diseases. If you make a holistic view of all our civil hospitals and TB sanatorium you will be shocked to see the misery of general public which have not been referred to any chest surgical treatment. The reason for this is multifactorial as already discussed above.

An experienced chest surgeon is proficient in airway disease in neck, food pipe (Esophageal), stomach and cervical rib surgery. However due to overlap with other specialties, neurosurgeon, ENT surgeon, cardiac surgeons and general surgeons have been performing these surgeries without adequate results. It is a need of our that through social media campaigns and health awareness programs general public should be educated about which diseases are best treated by chest surgeon. Hence, it is highly recommended that chest surgeons should be contacted for reliable treatment of chest related surgical diseases.