Surgical Expertise
Thirty years of thoracic surgery, more than 3,000 minimally invasive procedures, and an approach built on robotic and thoracoscopic technique wherever the anatomy allows.
The approach
Training from Yale, Johns Hopkins, and Brigham and Women's Hospital sits behind every operative plan. The technique is chosen for your anatomy and your disease, not for convenience.
Small incisions spare muscle and nerve, and nerve blocks are placed during surgery.
Robotic and thoracoscopic ports replace a full thoracotomy in most cases.
Hospital stays are typically two to four days, with light activity in one to two weeks.
Reduced tissue trauma lowers the risk of infection and pulmonary complications.
Dr. John R. Roberts
Cardiothoracic and Surgical Oncology
Core areas
Each of these is performed regularly, which matters more in thoracic surgery than in almost any other specialty.
Anatomic resection tailored to the tumor rather than the tradition: lobectomy, segmentectomy, and sleeve resection performed thoracoscopically or robotically whenever the anatomy allows.
Treatment of esophageal cancer and benign disorders, including robotic and minimally invasive esophagectomy, with attention to swallowing, nutrition, and quality of life after surgery.
Repair of hiatal and paraesophageal hernias, gastric volvulus, and reflux disease, including large and recurrent hernias that require reconstruction of the diaphragm and a durable anti-reflux repair.
Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) allows real-time sampling of lymph nodes and central lesions through the airway, so staging is accurate before a single decision about treatment is made.
Removal of thymomas, cysts, and other masses in the central chest through robotic access, which improves visibility around delicate vessels and nerves.
Pain, numbness, and swelling in the arm caused by compression at the first rib. Few surgeons perform first rib resection. Dr. Roberts has completed more than 250, including one of the first robotic rib resections in Florida.
Cryotherapy freezes the intercostal nerves during surgery to create a temporary block that lasts around three months, reducing opioid use and making it easier to breathe deeply and walk early. Dr. Roberts leads research in this technique.
A blood test that detects tumor DNA shed into the bloodstream, used after resection to look for residual or recurrent disease earlier than imaging alone can show it, so treatment can start sooner.
Services
Hover any card for the detail behind it.
Surgical care for the lungs, esophagus, mediastinum, and chest wall using advanced techniques.
Elective and urgent operations inside the chest, including foregut surgery for hiatal hernia and gastric volvulus, planned alongside your pulmonologist, oncologist, and radiologist so every decision fits the whole picture.
Thoracoscopic (VATS) and robotic procedures that reduce pain, risk, and time in the hospital.
Small incisions, a high-definition camera, and robotic instruments give precise access with far less trauma to healthy tissue. Most patients are up and walking the same day.
Diagnosis, staging, and surgery for lung cancer with an emphasis on early detection and precision.
From the first suspicious scan through staging and resection, care runs on one continuous plan with one surgeon who knows your case start to finish.
Cancer surgery of the chest, including complex and high-risk cases other centers decline.
Fellowship training in surgical oncology at Johns Hopkins informs how tumors of the mediastinum, chest wall, and esophagus are approached and reconstructed.
Surgical FAQs
Recovery, pain, safety, and referrals. If something is missing, the office will answer it by phone.
Thoracoscopic surgery, also called VATS, is a minimally invasive technique that uses small incisions and a camera to reach the chest cavity. It avoids a large incision, reduces pain after surgery, and shortens recovery.
Consultations cover your imaging, the surgical options, the risks specific to you, and what the first two weeks after surgery look like.
