The Division of Thoracic Surgery at Sinai Hospital offers expertise in the treatment of the following diseases:

• Lung cancers
• Esophageal cancers
• Benign esophageal diseases
• Chest wall tumors
• Mediastinal tumors
• Pleural tumors
• Metastatic malignancies (cancers) of the thoracic cavity
• Benign diseases of lung, mediastinum, pleura and chest wall
• Pericardial-malignant and benign tumors
• Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and excessive blushing

Drs. Lynne Skaryak and Laurie Reeder are both board-certified in Cardiothoracic Surgery as well as General Surgery. They are members of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. Sinai Hospital is a clinical training center for radiosurgery using the CyberKnife� and both physicians participate in monthly training sessions for facilities throughout the United States. 

Each physician has office hours at Sinai Hospital (Hoffberger Building), Cross Roads (Owings Mills) and Eldersburg locations. In addition, both participate in Multidisciplinary Thoracic Cancer clinics along with medical and radiation oncologists located at Sinai and Northwest Hospitals.

Dr. Reeder and Dr. Skaryak have privileges to admit patients and perform procedures at Sinai and Northwest Hospitals.

PROCEDURES PERFORMED:

Thoracoscopy (minimally invasive video-assisted surgery)

• Resection of lung cancers (lobectomy, wedge resection, pneumonectomy)
• Biopsies of pleura, mediastinum, pericardium, chest wall
• Excision of esophageal, mediastinal, pericardial, bronchogenic cysts
• Thoracic sympathectomy
• Drainage and treatment of pleural and pericardial fluid
• Decortication
• Assist in surgical correction of spine disorders

Chest Wall (ribs, sternum, clavicles, muscle)

• Pectus excavatum and carinatum in adults
• Resection of chest wall tumors
• Reconstruction of traumatic injuries to the chest wall
• CyberKnife� radiosurgery for tumors

Pleura (inner lining of chest wall and outer lung lining)

• Resection of pleural tumors
• Evaluation and biopsy of pleura
• Drainage and treatment of pleural fluid 
  • Pleurodesis--mechanical and talc
  • Pleurx catheter insertion (home drainage management
• Decortication (removal of infection, release of trapped lung)
• CyberKnife� radiosurgery for tumors

Pericardium (sac containing the heart)

• Pericardial window (evaluation, draining and biopsy of pericardial fluid)
  • Subxyphoid approach
  • Thoracoscopic approach
• Removal of pericardial cysts
• CyberKnife� radiosurgery for tumors

Mediastinum (center of chest including great vessels, thymus, lymph nodes)

• Removal of thymus for myasthenia gravis
• Resection of thymic tumors
• Mediastinoscopy (telescopic biopsy of lymph nodes and tumors)
• Removal of cysts
• Resection of neurogenic and germ cell tumors
• Resection of substernal thyroid masses
• CyberKnife� radiosurgery for tumors

Lung

• Resection of lung cancers
  • Wedge resection, lobectomy, pneumonectomy
• Lung biopsy
• Resection of benign tumors
• Excision of giant bullae
• Treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax
• Bronchoscopy
  • Excision and laser destruction of tumors blocking airways
  • Biopsy of tumors
  • Stent insertion in airways
  • Removal of foreign bodies
• Tracheostomy (percutaneous and open)
• CyberKnife� radiosurgery for tumors

Esophagus

• Laparoscopic repair of hiatal hernias (Dr. Skaryak)
• Resection of esophageal tumors
• Resection of duplication cysts
• Esophagoscopy
  • Dilation and laser destruction of tumors
  • Removal of foreign bodies
  • Stent insertion for tumors blocking esophagus
• Myotomy
• CyberKnife� radiosurgery for tumors

Venous Access for Chemotherapy

• Port-a-cath insertion
• Hickman catheter insertion
• Aphaeresis catheter insertion
  

For detailed descriptions of procedures and disease processes please visit The Society of Thoracic Surgery Patient Information. 

For more information on the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Clinic and the Thoracic Oncology Program, view our newspaper advertorial here.

Unique services provided by the Sinai Thoracic Surgery division include:


CyberKnife� Therapy of Thoracic Cancers
CyberKnife� is a new method of delivery of high-dose radiation with surgical precision sparing surrounding normal structures available at Sinai Hospital�s CyberKnife� Center. Sinai ranks fifth in the world for treatment of soft tumors of the soft tissue including tumors of the lung and thoracic cavity. CyberKnife� treatment is also unique in that radiation can be given in areas previously treated by standard external beam radiation. Treatments consist of one- to two-hour outpatient sessions performed over a three- to five-day period. This treatment allows for a team of specialists to construct an individualized plan for each patient.