The mediastinum is an area in the chest located between the lungs in the middle of your thoracic cavity. Residing inside the mediastinum are the heart, aorta, esophagus, trachea, lymph nodes, and a small organ called the thymus. In rare cases, abnormal cells can develop in the mediastinum and a mass forms. This is known [...]
It’s hard to believe that every six minutes someone dies from a blood clot here in the United States. Blood clots are gel-like masses that form inside your arteries or veins anywhere in the body. Blood clots are unfortunately hard to recognize, but because March is Blood Clot Awareness Month, our team of board-certified cardiothoracic [...]
At CTVS, our thoracic surgeons treat conditions affecting the esophagus including the most serious issue – esophageal cancer – and benign foregut disease like acid reflux (or GERD) and achalasia. What is GERD? GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or more commonly acid reflux, and refers to the occurrence of stomach acid routinely flowing backwards [...]
February is American Heart Month and we are highlighting some of the important therapies we work with often to aid in repairing and/or extend the life of the heart. Our board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons perform procedures day in and day out to improve heart health and save lives. Some of these include administering technologies such as [...]
Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the United States, with approximately 125,000 lives estimated to be lost this year. Because its symptoms are commonly associated with so many other conditions, like a cough and chest pain, lung cancer can be hard to diagnose. At CTVS, we are proponents of early [...]
35-year-old Tamara Fort is an ICU nurse and what many would consider the epitome of good health. She lifts weights three to four times a week and watches her nutrition closely. She isn’t someone you would consider to be at risk for heart disease. But for the past two years, she experienced shortness of breath, [...]
CTVS is proud to announce that Dr. Stephen J. Dewan has been honored as this year’s Travis County Medical Society Physician of the Year for 2023. The Travis County Medical Society (TCMS) is a professional society of more than 4,000 physician members in and around Austin who are dedicated to causes affecting the local medical [...]
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is a condition our board certified vascular surgeons often see at the start of the new year when people are eager to get in shape and work out more. It is not uncommon, however, that we see this serious condition all year round in dedicated athletes. TOS can occur when the [...]
According to the CDC, every 40 seconds someone suffers from a stroke in the United States. Unfortunately, nearly every four seconds, someone also dies from one. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, causing parts of the body to rapidly weaken and/or stop functioning. At CTVS, stroke awareness and prevention is [...]
In September, we raise awareness about serious issues that affect the aorta, the body’s largest artery and essential component of the heart. September 19th is Aortic Dissection Awareness Day, calling attention to the condition that famously took the life of popular actor John Ritter. Aortic dissections and aortic aneurysms lead to nearly 10,000 deaths each [...]
