Heart & Lung Surgery
Heart & Lung Surgery
Open-heart surgery. Robotic thoracic procedures. Complex lung and esophageal surgery. All of it, right here.
The moment you learn heart or lung surgery is necessary, everything shifts. The wait for answers and a plan for next steps can feel unbearable. Whether you are facing a valve replacement, bypass surgery, or a lung mass, we move quickly to get you in front of a surgeon who can give you answers and a path forward.
Our cardiothoracic surgeons perform the full range of heart, lung, and chest procedures—from coronary artery bypass and valve repair to robotic thoracic surgery and esophageal procedures. These aren't procedures we send elsewhere. They happen here, performed by the same specialists who will plan your surgery, operate, and follow you through recovery. No handoffs or gaps. A team that knows your case in depth.
We’ve earned the Healthgrades Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award for 12 years in a row—not as a credential to display, but as a reflection of what we do every day: consistent outcomes, and patients who go home safer.
The hours and days after surgery are just as important as the surgery itself. Through every critical phrase of your recovery our board-certified intensivists provide around-the-clock monitoring in Kootenai Health’s specialized ICU. And when you're ready to rebuild, our cardiac rehabilitation team walk that road with you too.
12 Years
Experienced Open-Heart Surgeons
Intensivist-Led Recovery
Advanced Heart Technology and Expertise
Conditions
- Coronary artery disease
- Valvular heart disease
- Lung nodules or masses
- Chest wall abnormalities
- Esophageal structural issues
- Ascending aortic aneurysms/dissections
Diagnostics & Monitoring
General cardiothoracic consultations
Treatments & Procedures
Our cardiothoracic surgeons treat conditions affecting the heart, lungs, and chest, with expertise in open-heart surgery.
Open-Heart Surgery
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) — Bypass surgery restores blood flow to the heart by creating a new pathway around blocked coronary arteries using a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body.
- Heart valve repair and replacement (aortic, mitral, tricuspid) — Surgery to repair or replace a damaged heart valve so blood can move through the heart properly again.
- Aortic aneurysm repair — Surgery to repair a weakened or bulging section of the aorta in the chest to prevent rupture or other serious complications.
Minimally Invasive Robotic Procedures
- Robotic thoracic surgery — Surgeons use robotic-assisted technology to perform certain chest and lung procedures with enhanced precision and smaller incisions.
Thoracic Surgery
- Lung resection (lobectomy, pneumonectomy, wedge resection) — Surgery to remove part or all of a lung when treating lung nodules, cancer, or other lung disease.
Additional Procedures and Treatment
- Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer
- Mediastinal mass resection
- Atrial septal defect (ASD) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair
- Pericardial disease treatment (pericardiectomy, pericardial window)
- Thoracoscopy/video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)
- Pleural disease management (pleurodesis, decortication)
Regional Leader in Structural Heart Treatments
Our structural heart program includes a team of physicians who have performed more than 1,000 Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion (LAO) procedures to help reduce stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Our TAVR team works closely with cardiothoracic surgeons, and our electrophysiology specialists collaborate with CT surgeons on AFib cases to evaluate your heart and determine the best treatment approach for your structural condition.
Support at Every Stage of Surgery
