The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center is a comprehensive two-year training program in the sub-specialties of congenital, adult, and general thoracic surgery. Our program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and follows TSDA curriculum with highlights in endovascular, off pump, and peripheral vascular training. 

The education goals of the program are to develop a well-rounded cardiothoracic surgeon with in-depth knowledge o f cardiothoracic surgery meeting ABTS educational objectives for Board Certification. Our emphasis on education differentiates Carolinas Medical Center from other similar-sized, non-university hospitals. We have a dedicated full-time surgical faculty fully committed to resident education. We also provide clinical support services from the Carolinas Heart & Vascular Institute (CHVI), Sanger Clinic, and James H. Heineman Vascular Center.

• Home call every 4th night
• Thoracic (non-cardiac) surgery including thorascopic interventions
• Adult cardiac surgery
• Pediatric, including neonatal surgery
• Electrophysiology, including endovascular and surgical interventions and device implantations
• Clinical and interventional cardiology
• Conventional and interventional peripheral vascular surgery

Francis Robicsek, MD

Our Program's History
Francis Robicsek, MD, was Chief of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Budapest at the age of 29. He came to the U.S. following the defeat of the Hungarian revolution against the former Soviet Union.

Since then, Robicsek has written several hundred medical papers, books and book chapters as a member of: American College of Surgeons, American Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American Medical Association and the Society for Vascular Surgery.

In addition, he holds a number of patents and his name is attached to several modern surgical procedures.