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
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
Lung resection surgery in Jehovah's Witness patients: a 20-year single-center experience.
Lung resection surgery in Jehovah's Witness patients: a 20-year single-center experience. J Cardiothorac Surg. 2022 Oct 20; 17(1):272.
PMID: 36266727
Frailty Is Associated With Adverse Postoperative Outcomes After Lung Cancer Resection.
Frailty Is Associated With Adverse Postoperative Outcomes After Lung Cancer Resection. JTO Clin Res Rep. 2022 Nov; 3(11):100414.
PMID: 36340797
Recent Changes in Characteristics of Applicants and Matriculants to Thoracic Surgery Fellowships.
Recent Changes in Characteristics of Applicants and Matriculants to Thoracic Surgery Fellowships. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2022 Aug 03.
PMID: 35931349
Knowledge of surgical management of hyperhidrosis among primary care physicians and the general public.
Knowledge of surgical management of hyperhidrosis among primary care physicians and the general public. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2022 05 02; 34(5):791-798.
PMID: 35015865
Thoracoscopic sympathectomy decreases disease burden in patients with medically refractory ventricular arrhythmias.
Thoracoscopic sympathectomy decreases disease burden in patients with medically refractory ventricular arrhythmias. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2022 05 02; 34(5):783-790.
PMID: 35015855
Caustic Ingestion-The Haves and the Have Nots.
Caustic Ingestion-The Haves and the Have Nots. JAMA Surg. 2022 02 01; 157(2):119.
PMID: 34878518
Developing a clinical and PET/CT volumetric prognostic index for risk assessment and management of NSCLC patients after initial therapy.
Developing a clinical and PET/CT volumetric prognostic index for risk assessment and management of NSCLC patients after initial therapy. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2022 01 12; 27(1):16.
PMID: 35090321
Gender Bias in Judging Frailty and Fitness for Lung Surgery.
Gender Bias in Judging Frailty and Fitness for Lung Surgery. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 02; 115(2):356-361.
PMID: 34902299
Caustic Ingestion-The Haves and the Have Nots.
Ferguson MK. Caustic Ingestion-The Haves and the Have Nots. JAMA Surg. 2021 Dec 08.
PMID: 34878518