Thoracic Surgery is a branch of medicine that offers surgical treatment for diseased affecting the organs inside the chest. Normally, this branch of medicine treats conditions in the diaphragm, chest wall and lungs. In most of the cases, it is associated with the branch of cardiac surgery called as cardiothoracic surgery. M. Ch in Thoracic Surgery is a three-year surgical specialty course, which is being offered only by a few medical colleges in India and the names of the government colleges alone offering this course are given below:

Tamil Nadu:

• Madras Medical College, Chennai

Maharashtra:

• Seth G.S. Medical College, Mumbai

Kerala:

• Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

• Government Medical College, Calicut

Intake capacity:

In the state of Kerala, the total intake capacity in the two colleges offering M. Ch in the Thoracic Surgery is six students per year, while in the state of Maharashtra it is three seats. On the other hand, the Madras Medical College in the state of Tamil Nadu is approved with an intake capacity of 14 students per year for the M. Ch in Thoracic Surgery course.

Eligibility requirement:

For entering into the M. Ch in Thoracic Surgery course, candidates must have cleared their MBBS with internship followed by an M.S in General Surgery course. They will also have to get through the admission test conducted either at the state level or the central level.

What are the conditions treated by Thoracic Surgeons?

Candidates who have completed their M. Ch in Thoracic Surgery are called as Thoracic Surgeons and these professionals operate on problems arising in the organs inside the chest and in the body tissues and structures that form the chest cavity. While Cardiac Thoracic Surgeons treat coronary artery diseases, general thoracic surgeons treat a disease like cancer in the lungs and esophagus. The list of conditions treated by thoracic surgeons is given below:

• Excess sweating, normally of the upper extremity called hyperhydrosis

• Swallowing disorders like achalasia

• Hiatal hernias

• Gastroesophageal reflux diseases

• Cancer in the esophagus

• Severe emphysema

• Lung cancer

Difference between Cardio Thoracic Surgeon and Thoracic Surgeon:

Most of us might wonder, ‘what is the difference between a Thoracic Surgeon and a Cardio Thoracic Surgeon?’ and the clarification for this doubt is given below:

Both these professionals get the same training, while in the case of Cardio Thoracic Surgeon, they will get a sub-specialty certificate in addition to the thoracic surgery certificate. While Cardio Thoracic Surgeons concentrate on diseases pertaining to heart alone through surgery, Thoracic Surgeons offer treatment to mediastinum, chest wall, esophagus and lungs.