Cardiothoracic Surgery refers to operations that treat diseases affecting the heart (cardio) and lungs (thoracic).

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Mesothelioma, lung cancer, Congenital heart disease, lung disease, pectus excavatum, thymoma, Aortic aneurysm, cardiovascular disease, Esophageal carcinoma, Pulmonary metastases, Chest wall tumors, esophageal diseases, Tracheal tumors, Malignant pleural effusions, and thoracic neoplasms.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Lobectomy, Mediastinoscopy, mitral valve replacement, lung transplantation, Ventricular assist device, lung volume reduction, Aortic dissection, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Mitral valve repair, Heart Transplantation, Miniminally invasive surgery (MIS), Ventricular Restoration (Dor Procedure), Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS), Bullectomy, arrhythmia surgery, and thoracic aorta repairs.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including biopsy, x-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Upper GI (Barium Swallow), Computed Axial Tomography (CT or CAT Scan), and physicial examination.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Florida has 286 practicing cardiothoracic surgeons. Broken out by city, cardiothoracic surgery doctor density in Atlantis is 6, in Aventura is 4, in Bay Pines is 2, in Boca Raton is 6, in Boynton Beach is 1, in Bradenton is 5, in Brandon is 4, in Clearwater is 9, in Clermont is 1, in Crystal River is 2, in Davenport is 2, in Deerfield Beach is 1, in Deland is 1, in Delray Beach is 5, in Eglin Afb is 1, in Englewood is 1, in Fort Lauderdale is 19, in Fort Myers is 7, in Fort Pierce is 6, in Fort Walton Beach is 1, in Gainesville is 15, in Gulf Breeze is 3, in Hialeah is 3, in Hollywood is 6, in Hudson is 4, in Inverness is 6, in Jacksonville is 21, in Jupiter is 1, in Kissimmee is 7, in Lake Mary is 5, in Lake Wales is 1, in Lake Worth is 1, in Lakeland is 5, in Largo is 4, in Lauderdale Lakes is 10, in Leesburg is 14, in Loxahatchee is 1, in Marco Island is 1, in Margate is 1, in Melbourne is 3, in Miami is 30, in Miami Beach is 8, in Miami Lakes is 1, in Naples is 7, in New Port Richey is 2, in Oakland Park is 5, in Ocala is 15, in Ocoee is 1, in Orange City is 1, in Orlando is 15, in Ormond Beach is 1, in Palm Beach Gardens is 9, in Panama City is 4, in Pembroke Pines is 2, in Pensacola is 6, in Pompano Beach is 1, in Port Charlotte is 1, in Port Richey is 1, in Port Saint John is 1, in Punta Gorda is 5, in Rockledge is 2, in Safety Harbor is 5, in Saint Augustine is 4, in Saint Petersburg is 16, in Sanford is 1, in Sarasota is 4, in South Miami is 4, in Stuart is 2, in Sun City Center is 2, in Tallahassee is 5, in Tamarac is 1, in Tampa is 35, in Venice is 14, in Vero Beach is 2, in West Palm Beach is 1, in Weston is 5, in Winter Haven is 18, in Winter Park is 4, and in Zephyrhills is 2.

Florida’s warm and humid subtropical climate makes it a winter destination for many. Population in 2000 was 15,982,378, according to census statistics. Tallahassee, located in the north panhandle area, is the state capital. Tourism is a major industry in Florida, with Cape Canaveral, Disney World, the Everglades National Park, Universal Studios, the Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast all destinations for visitors and residents. Year-round outdoor activities include camping, golf, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and boating.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Florida has a population of 17,789,864. Of this population, 3,975,071 are under the age of 18 and 2,978,335 are at or above the age of 65.