A significant portion of my practice involves advanced minimally invasive techniques in thoracic surgery to treat diseases such as lung or esophageal cancer. Another part of my clinical practice is spent taking care of patients with severe lung disease, especially those needing lung transplantation. Patients from all over the world come to Duke for lung transplantation. Research demonstrates that experience is very important in taking care of complex medical problems, both on the surgical side and on the medical side. We have one of the largest transplant centers in the world with excellent survival statistics, as well as the shortest wait list time. Instead of the national average which may be four to six months, our patients wait an average of about two weeks. One of the best aspects of being a patient or working at Duke is the people who work here. No matter how challenging the medical problems may be or what problems may arise, I know there’s a world’s expert a phone call away who can help intervene and I know that my patients will be cared for by committed Duke staff from across the hospital.