General Thoracic Surgery

What we do

Our department specializes in comprehensive surgical care for thoracic diseases, with a primary focus on lung cancer, pneumothorax, mediastinal tumors, and empyema. We are committed to delivering safe, high-quality treatment designed to minimize patient discomfort and recovery time.

Advanced Surgical Approaches & Interventions

Minimally Invasive Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS): For lung cancer, pneumothorax, mediastinal tumors, and empyema, we actively perform Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS). This minimal-access approach significantly reduces postoperative pain, promotes faster recovery, and enables early hospital discharge.

Lung-Sparing Segmentectomy for Early-Stage Lung Cancer: For small lung tumors, we perform segmentectomy—removing less than a third of the lung tissue compared to a standard lobectomy. This preserves long-term lung function while maintaining high cure rates.

Multimodality Treatment for Locally Advanced Lung Cancer: For advanced localized tumors, we utilize preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy to shrink tumors, maximizing the likelihood of complete surgical resection.

Palliative Surgical Interventions: To relieve severe symptoms and improve quality of life, we offer specialized interventions, including airway stenting for airway stenosis and pleuroperitoneal shunting for refractory pleural effusion as part of active palliative care.

Conditions we handle

We provide diagnostic and surgical management for a wide spectrum of thoracic conditions:

Thoracic Oncology (Malignant & Benign Tumors)

Lung Cancer
Metastatic Lung Tumors
Mediastinal Tumors
Pleural Tumors
Diaphragmatic Tumors
Inflammatory Lung Tumors
Tuberculoma & Fungal Infections

Respiratory, Pleural & Airway Conditions

Pneumothorax
Empyema
Airway Stenosis / Foreign Body Removal
Refractory Pleural & Pericardial Effusions (Thoracoscopic Pericardial Window / Drainage)
Airway Stenosis / Foreign Body Removal
Palmar Hyperhidrosis

Number of cases

Total Outpatient Visits: 3,554 patients
Total Inpatient Admissions: 2,541 patient days (or admissions)

(FY2024 Results)

List of Doctors

Chief

Yukio WATANABE

Subspeciality
General thoracic surgery, robotic surgery

Department name	General Thoracic Surgery
Medical School	Juntendo University
Special Qualifications	Board Certified Surgeon / Supervisor in General Thoracic Surgery of the Japanese Board of General Thoracic Surgery Board Certified Surgeon / Councillor in General Thoracic Surgery Board Certified Surgeon of The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery Board Certified Surgeon for Thoracoscopic Surgery Safety Skills of the Japanese Association for Chest Surgery Certified Proctor for Robot-Assisted Surgery (da Vinci) Da Vinci console surgeon certificate Board Certified Bronchoscopist of the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy Provisional Board Certified Instructor of the Japan Lung Cancer Society Board Certified Oncologist of the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy Completed the Palliative Care Training Workshop for Physicians in Cancer Care M.D., Ph.D.
Education & Career	Mar 2008: Graduated from Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine Apr 2008: Junior Resident, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital Apr 2010: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University Hospital Oct 2010: Department of Surgery, Public Showa Hospital May 2011: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University Hospital Apr 2012: Pathology Resident, National Cancer Center Hospital Oct 2012: Department of Surgery, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital Apr 2013: Surgical Resident, National Cancer Center Hospital Apr 2016: Oncology Fellow in General Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital Apr 2017: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University Hospital Apr 2021: Assistant Chief, Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Tobu Chiiki Hospital Nov 2022: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University Hospital Apr 2025: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital Apr 2026: Joined Kameda Medical Center as Chief, Department of General Thoracic Surgery

Assistant Chief

Hiromu KEIRA

Subspeciality
General thoracic surgery

Department name	General Thoracic Surgery
Medical School	Niigata University
Education & Career	Mar 2018: Graduated from School of Medicine, Niigata University Apr 2018: Junior Resident, Tomishiro Central Hospital (currently Yuuai Medical Center) Apr 2020: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University Hospital Oct 2021: Department of Digestive System and General Surgery, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital Apr 2022: Resident, Department of General Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital Apr 2025: Medical Staff, Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Niigata University Medical & Dental Hospital Apr 2026: Joined Kameda Medical Center as Assistant Chief, Department of General Thoracic Surgery

Senior Director, General Thoracic Surgery / Home Care Medicine

Hiroshi SUGIMURA

Subspeciality
General thoracic surgery, endoscopic surgery

Department name	General Thoracic Surgery
Medical School	Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
Special Qualifications	Board Certified Surgeon in General Thoracic Surgery of the Japanese Board of General Thoracic Surgery Board Certified Surgeon of the Japan Surgical Society Board Certified Member of The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery Board Certified Oncologist of the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy Da Vinci console surgeon certificate
Education & Career	Mar 1992: Graduated from Hamamatsu University School of Medicine Apr 1992: Resident, Japanese Red Cross Aichi Medical Center Nagoya First Hospital Apr 1994: Senior Resident (Thoracic Surgery), Fujita Health University Hospital Jun 1996: Surgical Resident, National Hospital Organization Chubu National Hospital Apr 1998: Assistant (Thoracic Surgery), School of Medicine, Fujita Health University May 2002: Kurahashi Clin Apr 2003: Research Fellow, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic Rochester (Minnesota, USA) Jul 2005: Clinical Fellow, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Toronto General Hospital (Ontario, Canada) Sep 2007: Lecturer (General Thoracic Surgery), School of Medicine, Fujita Health University Apr 2013: Joined Kameda Medical Center as Deputy Chief, Department of General Thoracic Surgery Apr 2014: Chief, Department of General Thoracic Surgery Apr 2026: Senior Director, Department of General Thoracic Surgery / Concurrently serving in the Department of Home Care Medicine

Andrology