Thoracic and Pulmonary Care in New Jersey

Our specialists offer the most advanced treatments available, including robotic thoracic surgery, interventional pulmonology and innovative therapies for lung cancer, esophageal cancer and complex respiratory conditions.

• Hackensack University Medical Center is home to one of the top-ranked thoracic surgery and pulmonary medicine divisions in the Metropolitan Tri-State area, recognized by U.S. News & World Report.
• Jersey Shore University Medical Center has also earned High Performing Hospital Awards in COPD, pulmonology, and lung surgery.
• Our team has achieved top national outcomes in thoracic surgery and is at the forefront of research and innovation through partnerships with scientists at the Center for Discovery and Innovation.

Hackensack Meridian Health is proud to bring our communities the most innovative pulmonary care in the nation.

• Our Pulmonary Fibrosis/Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Program brings together a highly integrated team of ILD experts to provide comprehensive diagnosis and personalized treatment.
• We’re a national leader in bronchoscopic lung volume reduction, offering patients with severe emphysema a minimally invasive option using endobronchial valves.
• Our Interventional Pulmonary Program uses the latest minimally invasive techniques to detect and treat lung cancer at the earliest, most treatable stages.
• Across our network, we offer cutting-edge care for COPD, asthma and complex respiratory conditions, along with lung cancer screening and dedicated pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
• Our physicians work closely with scientists at the Center for Discovery and Innovation to research new diagnostic tools and treatments for lung disease, ensuring our patients receive care grounded in the latest science.

Seamless collaboration between pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, oncologists and rehabilitation specialists ensures that patients receive comprehensive care. Our team meets regularly for tumor board discussions, bringing together experts in surgery, radiation oncology and pulmonology to develop personalized treatment plans. This level of coordination leads to better outcomes, shorter recovery times and an improved quality of life for our patients.

We tailor every patient’s diagnostic and therapeutic plan to their unique needs – whether managing symptoms, investigating a new diagnosis or treating suspected lung cancer.

As a leader in pulmonary and thoracic medicine, Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to advancing the field through education and research. The Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship at Hackensack University Medical Center provides hands-on training for future specialists, ensuring that our patients receive care from experts at the forefront of medical innovation.

Our specialists are actively engaged in clinical trials focused on lung nodules, chronic cough and advanced lung disease, giving patients access to the latest breakthroughs in treatment. Hackensack Meridian Health has one of the largest thoracic research teams in New Jersey, and our John Theurer Cancer Center ensures that patients receive leading-edge lung cancer care, including novel therapies for tumors that may be considered inoperable elsewhere.

Thoracic and pulmonary care is focused on diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the organs inside the chest (thorax). This includes the lungs, esophagus, and airways.

The service combines the expertise of pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons to offer complete care for a wide range of lung and airway diseases. Find a pulmonologist or thoracic surgeon now. 

The thoracic surgeons at Hackensack Meridian Health perform the follow surgeries and precedures:

• VATS (Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery)
• Open Thoracotomy
• Median Sternotomy
• Complicated lung procedures, including:
  • Blebectomy
  • Lobectomy
  • Pneumonectomy
  • Segmentectomy
  • Sleeve Lobectomy
  • Wedge Resection
• Airway procedures like:
  • Bronchoscopy (Flexible and Rigid)
  • Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)
  • Navigational Bronchoscopy (biopsy, fiducial placement)
  • Tracheal/Bronchial Dilation
  • Tracheal/Bronchial Stenting
  • Tracheal/Bronchial Tumor Debridement and Resection
  • Tracheal Resection
  • Tracheostomy
• Pleura procedures within the chest cavity:
  • Decortication
  • Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
  • Pleurectomy
  • Pleurodesis
  • Pleurx Catheter Insertion
  • Thoracic Duct Ligation
• Esophagus/Stomach/Diaphragm procedures:
  • Diaphragm Plication
  • Esophagectomy
  • Esophageal Dilation
  • Esophagoscopy (EGD)
  • Esophageal Myotomy (Heller Myotomy)
  • Esophageal Stenting
  • Fundoplication
  • Hiatal Hernia Repair
  • Removal of Esophageal Foreign Body
• Chest wall procedures:
  • Resection and Reconstruction of Rib and Sternum
  • Tumor removal
• Mediastinum procedures for the trachea (windpipe), esophagus, heart, thymus, fat, nerves and lymph nodes:
  • Mediastinoscopy
  • Pericardial Window
  • Resection of Mediastinal Tumors
  • Sympathectomy
  • Thymectomy

The pulmonologists at Hackensack Meridian Health diagnose and manage a broad spectrum of respiratory conditions, including:

• Asthma
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Emphysema
• Interstitial Lung Disease (including pulmonary fibrosis)
• Lung Cancer
• Lung Nodules
• Pneumonia and other lung infections
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Sarcoidosis
• Sleep Apnea and other sleep-related breathing disorders

Hackensack Meridian Health offers thoracic surgery and pulmonology services at locations across New Jersey — from Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Sussex and Union counties in the north to Middlesex, Monmouth, Burlington and Ocean counties in the central and south. Find a thoracic surgery or pulmonology care location now.