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Chief Yasuhisa Ohde, M.D., Ph.D. |
Deputy Chief Mitsuhiro Isaka, M.D., Ph.D. |
Senior Staff Yokomakura Naoya, M.D., Ph.D. |
Senior Staff Hideaki Kojima, M.D., Ph.D. |
Senior Staff Hayato Konno, M.D., Ph.D. |
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Senior Staff Shinya Katsumata, M.D., Ph.D. |
Chief Resident Harunobu Sasanuma,M.D. |
Chief Resident Kazuki Hayasaka, M.D., Ph.D. |
Chief Resident Tatsuya Masuda, M.D. |
Chief Resident Keigo Matsushima, M.D. |
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Resident Kenji Namiki,M.D. |
Resident Keisuke Tabata,M.D. |
At the Division of Thoracic Surgery, surgical diagnosis and treatment (surgery) are provided for disorders in organs of respiration in the chest including lungs, trachea, bronchus, mediastinum, thoracic wall and diaphragm. At the Shizuoka Cancer Center, the division deals with malignant tumor (cancer) detected in these organs. Among the cancers being diagnosed and treated at this division, lung cancer is the most common disease. Although the number of lung cancer victims is the biggest among all the death causes in Japan, there have been more and more cases of complete cure lately when the disease is detected early enough and optimal treatments are provided. Other than primary lung cancer, metastatic pulmonary tumor, which originates in some other organs, is treated at this division when it is diagnosed as applicable for a surgery.
For the treatment of cancers in the organs of respiration, medical therapy including chemotherapy is provided at the Division of Thoracic Oncology, and radiation therapy is provided at the Radiation and Proton Therapy Center. For an advanced cancer, however, the Division of Thoracic Surgery will come up with a multidisciplinary treatment plan based on the close observation on the case to combine multiple therapies collaborating with other clinical divisions.
When a lung cancer is detected at the early stage, it will be possible to expect the complete cure by a surgery alone. However, when the cancer is advanced, the treatment often involves chemotherapy and radiation therapy in addition to a surgery. Moreover, there are many cases when other treatments than a surgery are more suitable. Therefore, basic courses of treatments are discussed and decided at the joint conferences involving the Divisions of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic Oncology, Diagnostic Radiology, Radiation Therapy and Proton Therapy. The treatment following the decision is naturally carried out in collaboration with all the relevant clinical divisions.
Lung cancer surgery requires considerable expertise. At the Division of Thoracic Surgery, more than 430 surgeries are performed a year, with about 290 cases of lung cancer resection (both numbers are from 2022), which are considered as one of the biggest numbers in Japan. They prove how reliable the clinical performance is at this division.
At the Division of Thoracic Surgery, various surgical procedures are being performed. When the case is in the early stage, the minimal invasive surgery such as thoracoscopic surgery (complete thoracoscopic surgery, robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and single incision thoracoscopic surgery) and modified resection (pulmonary segmentectomy). For advanced cancer, if indicated, the division will decide on post-induction-chemoradiotherapy surgery or extended resection, which requires bronchoplastic procedure and/or combined resection of adjacent organs, with cooperation from the Division of Thoracis Oncology and the Radiation and Proton Therapy Center. Lately, the division has adopted more pulmonary segmentectomy with less extent of resection than before, as well as robot-assisted surgery which can be less invasive for a patient.
Surgical procedure for respiratory organs needs to be done with ample consideration to postoperative respiratory conditions. In that respect, having a respiratory rehabilitation at the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine starting even before the surgery will be helpful for getting quick and steady recovery from cancer resection and be supported thoroughly.
Cancer patients often have difficulty in breathing because of the narrowed air way or pleural effusions caused by the progressions of the disease. At the Division of Thoracic Surgery, surgeries to improve QOL (quality of life) of the patients, including drainage procedure for malignant cardiac effusion, talc pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusion, and treatment for air way stenosis (by rigid bronchoscopy or air way stent placement), are also being performed.
The Division of Thoracic Surgery is a member of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) and the West Japan Oncology Group (WJOG) and is constantly working together with other major medical institutions in Japan through clinical trials, which is part of the efforts for development of new cancer treatment. At the same time, education of young medical doctors, residents and fellows is widely focused on at this division.
Recently, personalized medicine, which is to customize a cancer treatment depending on a clinical condition and a social background of each patient, has been demanded because of the rapid increase of patients with cancers in other organs in addition to the disease in the respiratory region, or with multiple diseases in addition to cancers. The Division of Thoracic Surgery offers a variety of surgical procedures and treatments, which will enable the optimal and well-balanced cancer treatments depending on clinical conditions of each patient.
thoracic surgery
surgical treatment of malignant disease in the chest (especially lung cancer)
bronchoscope diagnosis and intervention including rigid bronchoscopy
Specialist and Supervisory Surgeon Certified by the Japan Surgical Society
Specialist for Respiratory Surgery Certified by the Japanese Board of General Thoracic Surgery
Councilor and Surgeon with Certified Expertise for Safety in Thoracoscopic Surgery, the Japanese Association of Chest Surgery
Councilor and Certified Surgeon, the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
Councilor, Member of the Subcommittee for the Guideline
Control Committee for Surgery, Member of the Subcommittee for the Guideline Control for Patients, the Ethical Committee Member, the Japan Lung Cancer Society
Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy
Councilor, the Kansai Thoracic Surgical Association
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
The Japanese Society for Endoscopic Surgery
The Japan Robotic Surgery Society
The Japan Surgical Association
Certified Console Surgeon and Proctor Doctor for the da Vinci Surgical System
Facilitator, the Shizuoka Respiratory Surgeons’ Association
Facilitator, the Shizuoka Study Group for Endoscopic Surgery
thoracic surgery
surgical treatment of malignant disease in the chest (especially lung cancer)
Specialist and Supervisory Surgeon Certified by the Japan Surgical Society
Specialist for Respiratory Surgery Certified by the Japanese Board of General Thoracic Surgery
Councilor and Surgeon with Certified Expertise for Safety in Thoracoscopic Surgery, the Japanese Association of Chest Surgery
General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy
Certified Proctor Doctor for the da Vinci Surgical System
The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
The Japanese Society for Endoscopic Surgery
The Japanese Cancer Association
The Japan Surgical Association
thoracic surgery
surgical treatment of malignant disease in the chest (especially lung cancer)
Specialist and Supervisory Surgeon Certified by the Japan Surgical Society
Specialist for Respiratory Surgery Certified by the Japanese Board of General Thoracic Surgery
Councilor, the Japanese Association of Chest Surgery
The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
Specialist and Supervisory Surgeon Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japan Robotic Surgery Society
Certified Console Surgeon for the da Vinci Surgical System
thoracic surgery
surgical treatment of malignant disease in the chest (especially lung cancer)
Specialist and Supervisory Surgeon Certified by the Japan Surgical Society
Specialist for Respiratory Surgery Certified by the Japanese Board of General Thoracic Surgery
General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy
Councilor and Surgeon with Certified Expertise for Safety in Thoracoscopic Surgery, the Japanese Association of Chest Surgery
The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
Certified Console Surgeon for the da Vinci Surgical System Training
thoracic surgery
surgical treatment of malignant disease in the chest (especially lung cancer)
Specialist Certified by the Japan Surgical Society
Specialist for Respiratory Surgery Certified by the Japanese Board of General Thoracic Surgery
The Japanese Association of Chest Surgery
The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
Bronchoscope Specialist Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
Certified Console Surgeon and Proctor Doctor for the da Vinci Surgical System
thoracic surgery
Specialist Certified by the Japan Surgical Society
Specialist for Respiratory Surgery Certified by the Japanese Board of General Thoracic Surgery
The Japanese Association of Chest Surgery
The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
Bronchoscope Specialist Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
Certificate Holder for a First Assistant for the da Vinci Surgical System
thoracic surgery
Specialist Certified by the Japan Surgical Society
The Japanese Association of Chest Surgery
The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
thoracic surgery
Specialist Certified by the Japan Surgical Society
The Japanese Association of Chest Surgery
The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japanese Society of Clinical Cytology