2024 Outcomes - Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital Fiscal year 2024 | Page 45

Thoracic Surgery

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The Department of Thoracic Surgery at Baylor University Medical Center , led by Department Chief and Surgical Director for Lung Transplantation , Gary Schwartz , MD , continues to be a national and international leader in minimally invasive thoracic surgery , esophageal disorders and lung transplantation .
Gary Schwartz , MD - Chief , Thoracic Surgery — Baylor University Medical Center
Baylor University Medical Center is ranked # 34 in the nation in pulmonology and lung surgery by U . S . News & World Report in its 2024-2025 “ America ’ s Best Hospitals ” list . The hospital also was recognized as High Performing in lung cancer surgery and pneumonia management .
Over the last four years , surgical volumes have grown significantly .
This increase is due , in part , to growth in thoracic oncology which has increased the complexity and volume of surgeries . In 2023 , Baylor University Medical Center launched a new service line — interventional pulmonology — which also contributed to an increase in surgical volumes . This relatively new specialty , which is a subset of pulmonary medicine , offers both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures .

701

1,233
Lung transplants since the program ’ s inception
Total thoracic surgeries performed ( FY24 )
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital — Dallas | Thoracic Surgery
Advanced robotic technology is becoming a cornerstone of thoracic surgery at Baylor Dallas . These advanced minimally invasive techniques improve visualization for surgeons and allows more precise dissection of critical structures in complex operations .
A recently developed robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform is allowing physicians to diagnose and remove lung cancer in a single-anesthesia event , traditionally a two-step process at minimum . Using a patient ’ s CT scan , the new robotic system computer generates a simulated model of the inside of the lung .
This allows physicians to pre-procedurally navigate the airway to reach nodules farther out in the lung than can be reached with traditional bronchoscopy . Physicians then control a robotic arm that guides a catheter through the patient ’ s airways where the nodule is biopsied , marked with a fluorescent dye and subsequently removed during the same procedure .
Another newer technology that is improving outcomes at Baylor University Medical Center is the use of pafolacianine injection , a fluorescent biomarker that attaches to lung cancer cells intraoperatively . Using a special infrared light , surgeons can visualize the location of the cancer on the robotic console to help guide the operation .
Lung transplantation
The volume of lung transplants at Baylor Dallas is growing , and outcomes have improved , due in part , to increased expertise in the use of new donor organ preservation and transport systems . In a revolutionary ex vivo system , donor lungs are placed inside a closed and sealed vault to maintain the temperature and internal pressure of the lungs and prevent physical trauma during transport . Transplant physicians can receive a temperature and pressure report throughout the entire transport process .
This system allows transplant physicians to travel farther distances to procure donor lungs and provides the ability to better assess the quality of potential donor lungs before implantation . Another portable perfusion , ventilation and monitoring system maintains the lungs at a near-physiologic state . Baylor University Medical Center is participating in several post-market national registries for these devices , collecting data so the FDA can assess outcomes in the real world with these devices .