Many specialists prescribe medicines to reduce pain following lung cancer surgery, but Robert Cerfolio, M.D., simply reinvented the surgery. As UAB’s chief of thoracic surgery, Dr. Cerfolio specializes in procedures to treat cancers of the lung and esophagus. His pioneering approach to lung cancer surgery is now being adopted by doctors around the world.

The innovative technique not only reduces pain after the procedure, but it also minimizes complications and helps patients heal faster. “This has really revolutionized lung surgery,” says Dr. Cerfolio. “It allows people to get back to full activity—golf, tennis, anything they want—three weeks after surgery instead of three months. In addition, it’s all done with conventional surgical equipment—I don’t need any fancy telescopes or cameras.”

Dr. Cerfolio is one of the world’s most active thoracic surgeons, performing more than 1,200 procedures each year, and he credits his surgical and medical teams with the success of UAB’s program and the positive results for patients. “I do nine or 10 cases a day, including perhaps six or seven lung surgeries and one or two esophageal procedures,” he says. “Because we have such a high volume, we have a set of anesthesiologists every day, we have nurses in the recovery room and in the patient rooms who know exactly what to do, and so forth. We have a team that helps people concentrate on swallowing to prevent complications after surgery. We have nurses in my office who know what questions are going to be asked and how to answer them. Then we have the oncologists who focus only on specific types of lung and esophageal cancer.” Dr. Cerfolio adds that this in-depth approach to treatment is an effective one. “Because this team is incredibly experienced, it makes the patient’s care so much better.”

Additional breakthroughs in lung cancer treatment are expected to come out of UAB’s new Pulmonary Injury and Repair Center. Dedicated to fighting lung disease, the center will bring researchers together from across UAB—and across the country—to collaborate on the development of new medications and other therapies. In addition, specialists at the new center will work closely with UAB’s Lung Health Center to reach out to the community and spread the word about those new treatments.