The Cardiothoracic Surgery course provides senior medical students with a comprehensive and clinically oriented understanding of surgical diseases involving the heart, great vessels, lungs, pleura, mediastinum, esophagus, and chest wall. The course integrates foundational cardiothoracic anatomy, pathophysiology, diagnostic evaluation, perioperative management, and evidence-based surgical interventions. Students develop essential competencies needed to recognize, assess, and participate in the management of acute and chronic cardiothoracic conditions encountered in surgical practice.
This module emphasizes clinical reasoning, emergency decision-making, perioperative safety, and multidisciplinary management, enabling students to function effectively within cardiothoracic teams. Through lectures, bedside teaching, operative observations, simulation sessions, and case-based learning, learners gain exposure to cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, and critical care domains.
The curriculum covers ischemic heart disease, valvular pathologies, congenital defects, cardiomyopathies requiring surgical correction, thoracic traumas, pulmonary neoplasms, mediastinal tumors, esophageal diseases, diaphragmatic pathologies, and pleural disorders. Students learn indications, contraindications, procedural steps, postoperative considerations, and complication prevention for major cardiothoracic operations—including CABG, valve replacement, thoracic resections, minimally invasive thoracic surgery, and emergency thoracotomy.
Special focus is placed on interpretation of diagnostic modalities, including chest radiography, CT, cardiac MRI, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, pulmonary function tests, and perioperative monitoring tools. Students also acquire understanding of cardiopulmonary bypass principles, ICU care, ventilatory strategies, fluid and electrolyte management, wound management, chest tube care, and early recognition of postoperative complications.
By the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate competency in:
- Evaluating cardiothoracic emergencies such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, aortic dissection, and cardiac tamponade.
- Recognizing surgical indications for coronary artery disease, valvular disease, thoracic tumors, and advanced pulmonary conditions.
- Formulating perioperative plans and participating in patient counseling and follow-up.
- Understanding operative principles of open, minimally invasive, and robotic cardiothoracic techniques.
- Applying evidence-based guidelines in cardiothoracic decision-making.
This course builds the foundation required for further training in general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery residency, cardiac anesthesia, intensive care medicine, and emergency medicine. It prepares graduates to approach cardiothoracic pathologies systematically, safely, and confidently within hospital settings.
