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The thoracic surgery team at UPMC Passavant is welcoming two new surgeons, offering expanded, local access to specialized surgical expertise. Thomas Melvin, MD, and Tadeusz Witek, MD, join this growing team of experienced surgeons, who offer comprehensive treatment and surgical care to patients with diseases of the lungs, chest wall, esophagus, and mediastinum.
About the New Surgeons
Thomas Melvin, MD, received his medical degree from Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. He then completed a residency in general surgery at UPMC Mercy, followed by a fellowship in thoracic surgery at UPMC. Most recently, Dr. Melvin completed a robotic thoracic surgery fellowship with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and specializes in robotic and minimally invasive thoracic surgery as well as thoracic surgical oncology.
Tadeusz Witek, MD, received his medical degree from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. He completed a residency in general surgery at UPMC Mercy. Following this, he completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at UPMC. Dr. Witek specializes in robotic thoracic surgery, thoracic surgical oncology, and esophageal surgery.
State-of-the-Art Thoracic Care
Dr. Melvin’s and Dr. Witek’s expertise in robotic thoracic surgery is an important addition to the expanded robotic surgery services at UPMC Passavant. Their robust team of experts provide specialized surgical treatment for patients along the entire spectrum of thoracic diseases and disorders, including:
Esophageal cancer
Lung cancer
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Paraoesophageal and hiatal hernias
Thymus gland tumors
Mediastinal tumors
Benign lung diseases
Pleural effusions/Pleural disease
Hyperhidrosis
Through collaboration and teamwork, the thoracic surgeons provide personalized, compassionate care through all phases of treatment.
Innovations in Thoracic Surgery at UPMC Passavant
The thoracic surgery program at UPMC Passavant continues to expand and progress toward more innovative treatment methods, including minimally invasive surgeries that allow patients to recover from surgery faster.
Minimally invasive procedures performed at UPMC Passavant include:
Esophagectomy
Laparoscopic surgery
Endoscopic surgery
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)
Robotic thoracic surgery
Robotic surgery specifically presents many benefits to patients, including less pain around the incision, faster recovery, fewer possible complications, and less notable scarring.
Robotic Bronchoscopy
With the innovation of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery, UPMC Passavant thoracic surgeons are able to offer an alternative treatment to traditional surgery.
They were the first in the region to use the Monarch™ robotic bronchoscopy system. This device allows surgeons to navigate deep inside the lungs for earlier, more precise detection of lung cancer.
With lung cancer being the deadliest form of cancer, access to this technology emphasizes the importance of early detection. When a lung nodule, or spot on the lung, is detected with a CT scan, doctors often need a biopsy to make a diagnosis. Robotic bronchoscopy offers a minimally invasive option for biopsy. During a robotic bronchoscopy procedure, doctors use a robot to guide a bronchoscope – a flexible tube with a light and camera – to the lung nodule. Once they reach the nodule, various biopsy tools are inserted through the bronchoscope to take a tissue sample.
Advancement in diagnostic technology like robotic bronchoscopy allows for safer and smoother navigation to the nodule in the lung. Plus, the robot’s arms can make small, precise movements that can be hard to execute with the human hand. While navigating inside the lungs, the advanced camera technology gives doctors a real-time look at a patient’s lungs, offering opportunities to find nodules or tumors in their early stages of development.
Injectable Dye Used to Identify Lung Cancer
Robotic bronchoscopy is just one way doctors at UPMC Passavant are finding lung cancers early. Patients north of Pittsburgh also have access to a first-of-its-kind injectable dye that illuminates cancer spots on patient’s lungs. Even for a skilled surgeon, it can be difficult to visualize cancer cells with the human eye. At UPMC Passavant-McCandless, their team of thoracic surgeons utilize this recent advancement to better detect cancerous lesions in the lungs during surgery.
The dye is injected into the patient’s veins through an IV one to 24 hours before surgery. Once it enters the body, the dye spreads and binds to cancer cells, causing them to glow. During the procedure, the surgeon uses a special camera to illuminate the dye, allowing the surgeon to identify and remove small lung cancer lesions without removing a larger portion of the lung.
Multidisciplinary Team Approach
The doctors at UPMC Passavant take a multidisciplinary approach to treating thoracic disease. Through close collaboration with pulmonologists, oncologists, cardiologists, and transplant surgeons, they offer comprehensive, high-quality care to the patients in the North Hills. These experts partner with specialty centers across the UPMC system, including the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, the UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center and the UPMC Lung Transplant Program, to develop complete treatment plans, ensuring that each patient’s unique needs are addressed.
This collaboration facilitates a seamless continuum of care for patients who may need support for a newly diagnosed thoracic disease, access to innovative treatment options, or a lung transplant.
Collaboration with the UPMC Lung Transplant Program
The UPMC Lung Transplant Evaluation Clinic in the North Hills is located at UPMC Passavant–Cranberry. The clinic provides pulmonary services and pre-transplant consultations for patients with end-stage lung disease who may qualify for a lung transplant. Lung transplant is a life-saving treatment for people with chronic lung conditions who have not seen improvement through medicine and other treatments.
The team of experts at UPMC considers every person referred to their program – even if other centers have turned a patient down. If they determine that a lung transplant is not the best treatment option, the team will continue to work to develop a care plan that fits a patient’s needs.
The evaluation clinic in the North Hills offers convenient access to imaging scans, blood and diagnostic tests, radiology services, and a consultation with Chadi Hage, MD, medical director of the UPMC Lung Transplant Program to start the evaluation process. Following the full evaluation, patients cleared for transplant will have their transplant at UPMC Presbyterian.
Since 1982, experts at the UPMC Lung Transplant Program have performed more than 2,350 lung and heart-lung transplants, making UPMC one of the most experienced centers in the country in terms of volume. The team’s dedication to innovation and patient-centered care has allowed them to maintain outcomes that are consistent with the national average.
The lung transplant evaluation process may seem overwhelming. That is why the dedicated transplant experts at UPMC are here to answer questions and help patients every step along their care journey.
For more information about the UPMC Lung Transplant Program or to request an appointment, call 412-648-6202 or visit UPMC.com/LungTransplant.
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