Department of Thoracic Surgery

The Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Nippon Medical School Hospital first began conducting surgeries in 1972 under the direction of Prof. Emeritus Tasuku Shoji. In its 40-year history, the department has undertaken over 8,000 surgeries on large cardiac blood vessels.

Our hospital contains one of the nation’s foremost advanced critical care centers and receives many emergency cardiovascular patients. Additionally, the ICU/CCU, which contains a 19-bed cardiovascular disease treatment ward at its center, is capable of treating ischemic cardiac diseases including acute myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, cardiac failure and acute aortic dissection. Moreover, our center can conduct emergency cardiovascular procedures on a 24-hour basis.

One characteristic of our ICU/CCU is that physicians in cardiovascular medicine, cardiovascular surgeons, and anesthesiologists contribute cooperatively to the medical care system. This allows them to coordinate intensive care treatment plans seamlessly, thereby leading to favourable surgical outcomes. In addition, we receive many patients suffering from diseases in the advanced stages, and are able to conduct emergency catheter examinations or interventions, coronary bypass surgery and aortic surgery at any time.

Some notable features of our department include the following: Firstly, we conduct all coronary bypass surgeries referred to us from the Cardiovascular Medicine Department as beating heart surgeries using off-pump CABG. Secondly, our surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation affiliated with valvular disease is considered one of the best in the country. Thirdly, we have one of the highest numbers of cases for the installation of pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and implantable biventricular pacemakers to treat cardiac failure . Finally, we conduct surgical treatment of coronary artery aneurisms during juvenile Kawasaki disease in infants.

We hope to continue the 50 years of tradition at the Nippon Medical School by actively engaging in the treatment of patients with advanced diseases.

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