Cardiothoracic Surgery Expert Witness

A Cardiothoracic Surgery expert witness is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon who testifies about the surgical treatment of heart disease and lung disease. Cardiothoracic Surgery is a specialty focusing on the surgical treatment of cardiac and thoracic disease. It is a demanding career that necessitates a six-year residency program, often drawing upon the top physicians in the country. Once complete, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon is eligible to earn board certification through the American Board of Thoracic Surgery with a certificate in Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery.  Cardiac diseases include blockage of the coronary arteries (commonly treated with coronary artery bypass grafting, or CABG), as well as diseases of the heart valves. Countless other cardiac conditions also fall within the realm of Cardiac Surgery, including repair of congenital cardiac defects (e.g. ASD, VSD, and coarctation), heart transplantation, and treatment of cardiac tumors. Thoracic Surgery most commonly involves partial or complete lung removal in addition to the treatment of tumors and infections in the chest. Most Cardiothoracic Surgeons also operate on the thoracic aorta to treat thoracic aortic aneurysm and thoracic aortic dissection.  Analyzing any and all of these areas is the purview of the Cardiothoracic Surgery expert witness.

Negligence claims against Cardiothoracic Surgeons are infrequent but typically stem from complications of surgery (e.g. bleeding or infection), improper indications for surgery, or delay in surgery itself. Since cardiac disease is sometimes mistreated by primary care providers, a Cardiothoracic Surgery expert witness may be called as a causation experts to discuss the natural course of cardiothoracic disease when treated in a timely manner.