At Thoracic, Cardiac, Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplantation Operating Room, we are dedicated to providing exceptional surgical care in the fields of Thoracic, Cardiac, Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplantation. Our state of the art Operating Room is equipped with advanced technology and designed to support complex procedures while ensuring the highest standards of patient safety and comfort.
Our team of highly skilled surgeons, anesthesiologists, and surgical staff are committed to delivering personalized care tailored to the unique needs of each patient. With a focus on innovation and excellence, we employ the latest surgical techniques and protocols to achieve optimal outcomes.
Whether it’s repairing heart defects, performing life-saving vascular surgeries or facilitating life-changing Organ Transplants, our multidisciplinary approach ensures comprehensive care throughout the surgical journey. We prioritize clear communication, compassionate support and a patient centered philosophy to make every experience as smooth as possible.
Advances in technology and techniques continue to improve the field of Thoracic, Cardiac, Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplatantation, offering new hope for patients with challenging conditions.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the dedicated professionals and support staff who make our Thoracic, Cardiac, Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplantation Operating Room a center of excellence. Your unwavering commitment to patient care, safety and innovation is the foundation of our success.
We would like to acknowledge the contributions of our skilled surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and technical staffs, whose expertise and teamwork ensure that every surgical procedure is performed with the highest standards of quality and precision. Your continuous pursuit of knowledge and improvement drives us forward in our mission to provide exceptional surgical care.
Together, we are committed to advancing the fields of Thoracic, Cardiac, Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplantation, improving lives through innovative care and compassionate service.
Thoracic, Cardiac and Vascular operations were performed in the Philippine General Hospital for several years before a formal training program was established. Most of the pioneer thoracic Filipino surgeons have been trained abroad. Dr. Carmelo Reyes did the first recorded thoracic operation in the Philippines in the Philippine General Hospital. It was an anterior thoracotomy for chondrosarcoma in 1919. Dr. Cristino Lazatin, a pioneering cardiothoracic surgeon and then chief of the Thoracic Service was credited with several firsts. He reported the first decortication in a patient with hemothorax in 1949 and performed the first thymectomy for myasthenia gravis and thymoma andesophagectomy for carcinoma of the distal third of the esophagus through athoracotomy the following year. Cineangiography was introduced in PGH in 1949 and this ushered in the era of cardiac surgery in PGH. Also in 1950, Dr. Cristino Lazatin performed the first ligation of patent ductus arteriosus in the country. He later performed several closed mitral commissurotomies for mitral stenosis. In 1953 Dr. Pedro Lavadia reported an esophagectomy for corrosive esophageal stricture. Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, a pioneer general surgeon performed the first abdominal aortic aneurysm resection using alcohol-treated cadaver graft in 1955. The first open heart surgery in the Philippines was performed in PGH for pulmonic stenosis in February 1959 by a team composed of Drs. Cristino Lazatin, Dr. Enrique Garcia, Dr. Pedro Lavadia and Dr. Hector Baens who ran the heart-lung machine. In April 1959, the Philippine Association of Thoracic Surgeons (the forerunner of the present Philippine Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons, Inc. or PATACSI) was established through the initiative of Dr. Enrique Garcia, wholater served as Minister of Health of the Philippines. Dr. Lavadia, who later became chief of the thoracic service was responsible for both adult and pediatric cardiac operations including those for coarctation of the aorta, patent ductus arteriosus, palliative shunts for Tetralogy of Fallot, and closed mitral commissurotomy, Later, Dr. Manuel Tayao, having trained with Michael DeBakey, would head the PGH open heart team.
The UP-PGH training program in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery started in 1982 with Dr. Enrique Ona (who later served as Secretary of Health) as the first section chief and Dr. Jose Luis Danguilan as its first graduate in 1984. The open heart program was temporarily interrupted in 1985 when most of the consultant staff became busy with their practice in other cardiovascular centers. When Dr. Jose Gonzales became chief of the section in 1987, he instituted reforms such as a more defined structure of residents’ responsibilities and increased consultant supervision. Open heart surgery resumed in 1994. The PGH Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory was established in 1999 and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed on a regular basis since then. Surgery for valvular, thoracic aortic diseases and congenital heart diseases also became common. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery started in 1994. In 1998, the PATACSI extended the training period for TCVS from two years to three years. With the presence of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and resultant increase in the number of cardiac surgical cases, the section found the increase in duration of training a welcome and aptly timed change. The section was later renamed Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery together with other specialties of the Department of Surgery. An operating room complex dedicated to Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Organ Transplantation was opened in 2003. Following the global trend and because of dwindling number of applicants to the TCVS programs in the country, the PATACSI approved a shorter general surgery training requirement of three years as an option for entry into the TCVS program in 2005 in order to attract more deserving candidates. Thus, the straight or integrated TCVS program which included three years of general surgery and three years of TCVS began the following year. The Division produced its first integrated TCVS graduate by the end of 2008. Currently, the Division offers two pathways for the TCVS program – the conventional (five years general surgery plus three years TCVS) and the integrated pathway.
The three-year training program in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery provides experience in the surgical management of diseases of the thoracic viscera (heart, lungs, great vessels, mediastinum, neck, trachea, esophagus, thoracic cage and diaphragm) and the peripheral vascular system including thoracic and vascular trauma. The program is designed to prepare the trainee to diagnose and surgically manage thoracic and cardiovascular diseases. The residents’ rotation at the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), the Lung Center ofthe Philippines (LCP) and the National Kidney and Transplantation Institute (NKTI) are designed to complement the trainees’ experience in PGH. The rotations offer a wider variety of surgical cases and exposure to procedures that may not be present or common in PGH to ensure a desired level of competency in each subspecialty. All graduates are expected to pass the specialty board examination of the Philippine Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (PBTCVS). So far, all graduates of the program who sat for the specialty board examinations have passed.
The program has produced a total of 35 graduates, majority of who are based in the country. Currently, about three-fourths (74%) are practicing in the Philippines, 17% are practicing abroad and 9% are undergoing further training abroad. Fifty seven percent of graduates have obtained further training abroad. Five have been elected president of PATACSI.
Today, Thoracic, Cardiac and vascular Surgery continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the treatment of heart and chest diseases. Ongoing research, collaboration, and innovation drive progress in the field, offering new hope for patients facing challenging conditions.
The history of Thoracic, Cardiac and vascular Surgery is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of medical professionals in their quest to save and improve lives.