Treatment Options for Mesothelioma Patients

A well-established thoracic surgeon, Jonathan Daniel, MD, serves the needs of Portland, Oregon, patients at the Rose City Vein Center. With experience treating a wide range of venous diseases, he provides thoracic surgical care. One of the conditions that Jonathan Daniel, MD, treats is mesothelioma, an uncommon tumor that necessitates a particular surgical approach. 

With approximately 3,000 cases diagnosed yearly, mesothelioma arises gradually from prolonged asbestos exposure. Symptoms of the lung disease typically appear within 15 to 50 years of exposure, and conventional treatments include chemotherapy and radiation therapy as well as surgery. Emerging areas of focus are in cryotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy. 

The most common surgical approaches to mesothelioma include pleurectomy, which involves removing the lining of the lungs and sometimes the underlying lung tissue. If the disease only affects one lung, a pneumonectomy, or complete removal of the affected lung, may be in order. Another treatment, called pleurocentesis, can be used to remove fluid surrounding the lungs that makes breathing difficult for patients.

Stasis Ulcers

Jonathan Daniel, MD, resides in Portland, Oregon, where he is a thoracic surgeon. Currently affiliated with Starr-Wood Cardiothoracic Surgery Group, Jonathan Daniel, MD, performs a variety of thoracic surgeries and applies his experience to numerous conditions, including venus reflux, restless leg syndrome, and stasis ulcers.

When valves within the veins that normally help regulate blood flow to the heart do not function properly, blood can pool in the vein and overflow into surrounding tissue, causing a stasis ulcer. These ulcers often appear on the leg or ankle and can cause significant discomfort, pain, swelling, and achiness in the area of the wound.

The risk of developing a stasis ulcer is increased when a patient suffers from deep vein thrombosis, is obese, a smoker, or inactive.

To treat a stasis ulcer, a physician may recommend specific exercises to increase blood circulation in the area, advise that the patient wear compression stockings, or encourage patients to walk for exercise.

Racquetball Improves Balance, Flexibility, and Hand-Eye Coordination

As a thoracic surgeon at Starr-Wood Cardiothoracic Surgery Group in Portland, Oregon, Jonathan Daniel, MD, assists patients with health needs such as esophageal surgery or lung cancer. When he is not busy with work, Jonathan Daniel, MD, makes time to play racquetball. 

Racquetball provides various physical and mental health benefits to those who engage in regular play. Notably, it helps individuals become more balanced and coordinated. It also improves hand-eye coordination. 

Racquetball requires the body to stretch and move into various poses in order to hit the ball or make a shot. As a result, balance and coordination begin to come naturally after a significant amount of play. Individuals become more flexible and coordinated as they learn to work with their bodies. 

Hand-eye coordination also improves as player reflexes develop. Players learn to watch for the ball and make fast shots to keep up with the opponent. Racquetball also trains the player to watch for things in their peripheral vision, helping to make individuals more aware of their surroundings.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons - Upcoming Symposium on Robotics

Thoracic surgeon Jonathan Daniel, MD, practices with the Starr-Wood Cardiothoracic Surgery Group in Portland, Oregon. Alongside his work caring for his patients, Jonathan Daniel, MD, maintains memberships with professional organizations including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. 

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, established in 1964, is a nonprofit that represents the researchers and physicians who tend to the heart, lungs, and esophagus. It represents more than 7,200 medical professionals who are dedicated to improving outcomes for cardiothoracic patients worldwide. 

An upcoming STS event will focus on the changes that robotic technology is bringing to cardiothoracic surgery. The STS Symposium on Robotic Mitral Valve Repair will help attendees learn more about performing robotic mitral valve procedures, covering techniques from valve positioning to postoperative care. Physicians will also learn how to design and establish effective robotic surgery programs at hospitals around the world.

The symposium will be held March 31 and April 1, 2017, at the Loews Chicago Hotel.

The American College of Chest Physicians - CHEST Foundation Grants

Jonathan Daniel, MD, practices thoracic surgery with the Starr-Wood Cardiothoracic Surgery Group in Portland, Oregon. Jonathan Daniel, MD, focuses on surgeries of the chest, lungs, and esophagus, and is accordingly a member of the American College of Chest Physicians. 

The American College of Chest Physicians began with one patient. As he recovered from tuberculosis in 1935, Murray Kornfeld dreamed of a network of thoracic medicine professionals who would learn from each other to better patient care. He went on to mobilize physicians across the United States, and their organization grew into a powerful resource for chest physicians and patients alike. 

The American College of Chest Physicians also operates the CHEST Foundation, a charitable fund designed to aid patients and advance research efforts. The CHEST Foundation has awarded nearly $7 million in grants to researchers who study lung cancer, thrombosis, asthma, and other conditions that impact the chest. 

These grants have funded projects including Mary Hart's Asthma Boot Camp, an educational camp for children who live with asthma. Participating children learn to manage their condition, paying special attention to triggers and medication use. This program puts children in charge of their asthma, helping them to thrive in school instead of being sick at home.

ABS Supports ACGME Changes to Resident Shift Limits

Based in Portland, Oregon, Jonathan Daniel, MD, specializes in minimally invasive thoracic surgery and esophageal surgery. In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, Jonathan Daniel, MD, stays up to date with current treatment methods and is certified to practice by the American Board of Surgery.

The American Board of Surgery (ABS) recently lent its endorsement to the new guidelines by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) which lift the mandatory requirement for a hard limit of 16 hours per shift for first-year surgical residents. ABS supports these changes, which could potentially mean better patient care as residents will have the option to stay with patients during vital stages of their treatment.

The new requirements were posted on the ACGME website last December, and surgical professionals were given the opportunity to provide feedback and input. Should they receive final approval from the ACGME board, they will become effective on July 1, 2017.

ABS supports these measures, as they are in line with the organization’s mission to provide the highest standards of development for surgeons, with patient care topping the list. ABS believes these changes to the ACGME guidelines help further that goal.

The STS National Database

Jonathan Daniel, MD, is an experienced thoracic surgeon who has treated patients through the Starr-Wood Cardiothoracic Surgery Group in Portland, Oregon, since 2015. Jonathan Daniel, MD, also holds active membership in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). 

In addition to providing a range of targeted member benefits and advocating for industry concerns at the federal level, STS aids in research initiatives through its National Database. Articles based on this research have appeared in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. 

Founded in 1989, the STS National Database strives to improve the quality of care and patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons. It is divided into three essential areas of cardiothoracic surgery: adult cardiac, general thoracic, and congenital heart surgery. The adult cardiac and congenital heart surgery components of with the STS National Database also incorporate an anesthesiology dimension.

The database depends on physician participation to gather information. Physicians who participate have the opportunity to have the quality of care delivered by their practices documented and receive access to data reported by other physicians. In addition to these and a number of other benefits, participation in the database satisfies American Board of Thoracic Surgery Maintenance of Certification Part IV - Evaluation of Performance in Practice requirements.