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Physician & Surgical Specialties$580,000 - $850,000+
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
The operative surgeon who opens the chest cavity to perform bypass surgery, replace heart valves, and transplant donor hearts and lungs.
Min Degree
Doctorate
Years Post-HS
15 Years
Patient Contact
Continuous Bedside
Setting
Cardiac Operating Suites, Cardiovascular ICUs, Transplant Centers
The PrePro Hidden Gem Factor
The pinnacle of operative complexity. When surgeons talk about the highest-stakes surgery in human physiology, they are talking about cardiothoracic surgery.
Clinical Role Overview
Cardiothoracic surgeons are the ultimate operators of the thoracic cavity. Working in tandem with Cardiovascular Perfusionists running cardiopulmonary bypass machines, they perform coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aortic valve replacements, aortic root aneurysm repairs, and heart/lung transplants.
A Day in the Life (Hospital Shift Chronology)
06:30 - Patient review in the Cardiac Surgical ICU and reviewing pre-op CT angiograms
07:30 - Median sternotomy, harvesting left internal mammary artery (LIMA) for bypass
09:00 - Initiating cardiopulmonary bypass with perfusionist, cross-clamping aorta, and cardioplegic arrest
11:30 - Performing 4-vessel coronary bypass grafting and replacing a calcified aortic valve
14:00 - Weaning patient from bypass, achieving strict surgical hemostasis, and sternal closure
Core Clinical Tools & Hardware
- Sternal Saws & Retractors
- Cardiopulmonary Bypass Cannulae
- Coronary Microvascular Castroviejo Needle Holders
- Cardioplegia Delivery Heat Exchangers
Educational Prerequisites
- 4-Year Pre-Med Bachelor's
- 4-Year Medical School (MD or DO)
- 6-Year Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery (or 5-Yr General Surgery + 2-3 Yr Thoracic Fellowship)
- American Board of Thoracic Surgery Certification