- Medical Weight LossSt. Vincent’s East offers premier programs in Primary Care, Orthopedics, Obstetrics, Cardiovascular Services, Cancer Treatment, and Emergency Services, as well as comprehensive programs in Diabetes, Endoscopy, Continence, Same-Day Surgery, Digestive Disorders, Sleep Disorders, and Surgical Weight Loss. For more information, visit their website by clicking button below.
- Stroke RehabilitationGrandview Medical Center is a 402-bed tertiary care hospital that provides healthcare services to patients in Birmingham and surrounding communities. Conveniently located on Highway 280, Grandview Medical Center offers diverse specialties from heart care to labor and delivery to robotic-assisted surgery. Specialty units include a Level III trauma center, certified Chest Pain Center, recognized stroke center, cardiac cath lab and neonatal, surgical and medical intensive care. For more information on Grandview Medical Center, please visit their website by clicking button below.
- Primary Care
- Sleep Disorders
- Emergency CareThanks for contacting Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons, P.C. Your message is very important to us. If this is an emergency, please go to the emergency room. If you need immediate attention, please call our office at 205.716.6900. Otherwise, we will be in touch soon!
- Constipation
- ElectrocardiogramPre-op Testing – After a specific date for your procedure is selected, pre-op testing will be scheduled. This takes place at the main hospital onthe first floor of the hospital. They will instruct you to bring a list of all prescription medications, herbal preparations, and dietary supplements you take, including vitamins. You will be asked to complete a health history for the hospital and a nurse will take your vital signs and evaluate your current condition. Any special testing we need for surgery will be done, such as x-rays, EKGs, blood work, and pulmonary function screening. This is done Monday- Friday, between 8:00 am-5:00 pm and generally takes about an hour and a half. They will give you a small bottle of antibacterial soap with instructions to shower with it the night before surgery. You will also be asked to not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery.
- Obstetrics
- Labor and Delivery
- Endoscopy
- Lung CancerDr. Thurber provides professional and compassionate care to adult patients with a full range of cardiac and thoracic diseases, including heart valve and coronary artery disease, lung cancer, chest tumors, and aortic aneurysm repair.
- Diabetes Care
- Ultrasound“I had several people come up to me and say they were not familiar with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms and the need for screening, especially in men over age 50,” said Dr. Lochridge. “The screening is a simple ultrasound, but it can help detect this condition, which has a very high mortality rate.”
- X-Rays
- Computed TomographyPre-operative visit – This will often be the first meeting with your surgeon. He will review your medical records, including your catheterization films, x-rays, and CT scans.. This is the perfect time for your questions and we are happy to review all aspects of your operation.
- General SurgeryDr. John Thurber is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with over 20 years experience in his specialty. He graduated from the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, and served in the United States Navy Medical Corps, retiring from the Navy after serving as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. He received training in general surgery at the National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, and then in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
- Orthopedics
- Minimally Invasive SurgeryAvoid driving, outdoor bicycling, or motorcycle riding for six weeks after surgery. This is recommended to allow your breastbone to heal. When traveling, be sure to get out of the car every 2 hours and walk around for 5-10 minutes to help prevent blood clots. For patients having minimally invasive surgery or robotic operations, you may return to driving typically 2 weeks after surgery.
- Vascular SurgeryWhile heart surgery continues to be a prominent part of the practice, the group is just as interested in maintaining and developing new skills to stay on the cutting edge of developments in vascular surgery, pulmonary surgery and surgery of the esophagus. Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons was also in the forefront of introducing vascular surgery of the extremities, carotid surgery for stroke prevention, aneurysm surgery, pacemaker and defibrillation implantation to the community. We are currently the only practice in the state of Alabama performing minimally invasive robotic heart surgery for mitral valve repair and some one vessel bypass surgery.
- Robotic SurgeryMost patients begin to feel like returning to work 6 to 12 weeks after surgery. Your surgeon will advise you when you can return to work at your follow-up visit 3 to 6 weeks after surgery. For patients having minimally invasive or robotic surgery, you may return to full activities typically within two weeks of surgery.
- Physical TherapyOnce you and your surgeon feel you are strong enough to go home, your nurse will provide a written list of the medications you are to take. Do not resume your home medications unless you have been specifically instructed to. Most patients will be discharged with a home care nurse to visit the following day. They will review your medications, check your wounds, listen to your lungs and check your vital signs. They are a good source of information and provide regular reports to our office. You will have an office visit with us in ten to fourteen days. Some patients (depending on their convalescence and family support system) are not discharged directly home. For patients who need additional physical therapy, rehabilitation or the transitional care unit is an option. This will be evaluated near the time of discharge and coordinated with the case manger at the hospital.
- Back Pain