Dr. Ferguson specializes in the surgical management of diseases of the chest. His most active areas of surgical management include lung cancer, benign and malignant esophageal diseases, mesothelioma, and thymoma. He has broad experience in using minimally invasive techniques, and performs 80% of his operations either using VATS, robotics, or laparoscopy. He is also adept at performing traditional open operations for more complex disease.
As founding Program Director of the University of Chicago Cardiothoracic Fellowship Program, Dr. Ferguson supervises the training of cardiothoracic fellows. He has served on the boards and committees of numerous national societies and institutions including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and CTSNet.org.
Dr. Ferguson is the author of more than 100 chapters in medical textbooks. He has edited or written 8 books, and has completed 3 editions of Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery. He is the editor for Difficult Decisions in Surgery, a series of books highlighting decision making in a variety of surgical subspecialties. He has also published more than 350 papers and abstracts in medical journals. Dr. Ferguson serves as a deputy editor for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, is on the editorial board of 3 other journals, and is Editor of CTSNet.org. He serves as the Executive Director of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.
Among his research interests are risk analysis, long-term outcomes after lung resection and esophageal resection, development of simulation methods for surgical training, advanced techniques in surgical education, and factors that influence medical decision making including gender and racial/ethnic bias. His educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Harvard College and an MD degree from The University of Chicago. His surgical training and fellowship in medical education took place at The University of Chicago.
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
- Education
2011
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
1984
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
- General Surgery
1982
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
MD
1977
Harvard College
Cambridge, MA
BA
1973
Implementing a Frailty-Specific Postoperative Order Set to Improve Postoperative Outcomes in Frail Adults After Elective Thoracic Surgery.
Implementing a Frailty-Specific Postoperative Order Set to Improve Postoperative Outcomes in Frail Adults After Elective Thoracic Surgery. J Nurs Care Qual. 2024 Oct-Dec 01; 39(4):361-368.
PMID: 38936412
The association between neighborhood disadvantage and frailty: A retrospective case series.
The association between neighborhood disadvantage and frailty: A retrospective case series. J Public Health Res. 2024 Apr; 13(2):22799036241258876.
PMID: 38867913
The risk analysis index is an independent predictor of outcomes after lung cancer resection.
The risk analysis index is an independent predictor of outcomes after lung cancer resection. PLoS One. 2024; 19(5):e0303281.
PMID: 38753607
Chatbot Reliability in Managing Thoracic Surgical Clinical Scenarios.
Chatbot Reliability in Managing Thoracic Surgical Clinical Scenarios. Ann Thorac Surg. 2024 Jul; 118(1):275-281.
PMID: 38574939
Barriers and facilitators to smartwatch-based prehabilitation participation among frail surgery patients: a qualitative study.
Barriers and facilitators to smartwatch-based prehabilitation participation among frail surgery patients: a qualitative study. BMC Geriatr. 2024 Feb 02; 24(1):129.
PMID: 38308234
Big Data Analytics-Surgeon Careers and the Continued Need for Human Connection.
Big Data Analytics-Surgeon Careers and the Continued Need for Human Connection. Ann Thorac Surg. 2024 Mar; 117(3):485-488.
PMID: 38043847
Racial differences in phenotypic frailty assessment among general thoracic surgery patients.
Racial differences in phenotypic frailty assessment among general thoracic surgery patients. JTCVS Open. 2023 Dec; 16:1049-1062.
PMID: 38204700
Technology-assisted behavioral intervention to encourage prehabilitation in frail older adults undergoing surgery: Development and design of the BeFitMe™ Apple Watch app.
Technology-assisted behavioral intervention to encourage prehabilitation in frail older adults undergoing surgery: Development and design of the BeFitMe™ Apple Watch app. Digit Health. 2023 Jan-Dec; 9:20552076231203957.
PMID: 37766907
Germline Variants Incidentally Detected via Tumor-Only Genomic Profiling of Patients With Mesothelioma.
Germline Variants Incidentally Detected via Tumor-Only Genomic Profiling of Patients With Mesothelioma. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 08 01; 6(8):e2327351.
PMID: 37556141
STK11 Inactivation Predicts Rapid Recurrence in Inoperable Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.
STK11 Inactivation Predicts Rapid Recurrence in Inoperable Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. JCO Precis Oncol. 2023 01; 7:e2200273.
PMID: 36603171