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. Illinois has 225 practicing cardiothoracic surgeons. Broken out by city, cardiothoracic surgery doctor density in Addison is 1, in Arlington Heights is 5, in Aurora is 5, in Barrington is 9, in Belleville is 5, in Berwyn is 4, in Bloomington is 4, in Blue Island is 7, in Boonville is 1, in Brookfield is 1, in Carbondale is 3, in Centralia is 1, in Champaign is 1, in Chicago is 82, in Chicago Heights is 1, in Decatur is 6, in Des Plaines is 2, in Downers Grove is 16, in East Saint Louis is 1, in Elgin is 6, in Elk Grove Village is 11, in Elmhurst is 3, in Evanston is 6, in Evergreen Park is 1, in Geneva is 2, in Gibson City is 1, in Glen Ellyn is 1, in Glenview is 1, in Granite City is 1, in Gurnee is 1, in Harvey is 2, in Hazel Crest is 2, in Highland Park is 2, in Hines is 2, in Hinsdale is 5, in Joliet is 5, in Kankakee is 7, in Libertyville is 9, in Lincoln is 1, in Marion is 2, in Maryville is 2, in Maywood is 12, in Mchenry is 1, in Melrose Park is 8, in Mount Vernon is 3, in Naperville is 7, in Northbrook is 1, in Oak Brook is 1, in Oak Lawn is 20, in Oak Park is 2, in Olympia Fields is 3, in Ottawa is 1, in Palos Park is 1, in Park Ridge is 2, in Pekin is 2, in Peoria is 14, in Quincy is 2, in Riverside is 1, in Rock Island is 5, in Rockford is 5, in Rushville is 1, in Scott Afb is 1, in Silvis is 1, in Skokie is 5, in South Barrington is 1, in Springfield is 8, in Streamwood is 1, in Streator is 1, in Swansea is 10, in Urbana is 5, in Wauconda is 1, in Waukegan is 1, in Westmont is 3, in Willowbrook is 1, in Winfield is 2, in Winnebago is 1, and in Wood Dale is 1.

Most people think that Chicago, because of its size and popularity, is Illinois’ capital city, but that distinction belongs to Springfield, home of the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Illinois has hundreds of museums, numerous yearly art and ethnic festivals, a lakeshore bordering Lake Michigan, and the many national forests and parks that offers visitors camping, horseback riding, biking, kayaking, and fishing. Chicago is home to the Sears Tower, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and other cultural opportunities and restaurants in the Navy Pier area.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Illinois has a population of 12,763,371. Of this population, 3,172,677 are under the age of 18 and 1,523,937 are at or above the age of 65.