Mathew Thomas, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Dr. Mathew Thomas is a cardiothoracic surgeon and the Director of Thoracic Surgery and Chair of Robotic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. His primary interest lies in improving and advancing the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques for the treatment of chest malignancies, including lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Education and Career
Dr. Thomas graduated from the University of Kerala/T.D. Medical College with an MB BS degree, then completed an externship at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He completed his residency in General Surgery at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania, where he also served as Chief Resident.
He then completed a fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Thomas has remained at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, where he practices as a cardiothoracic and general surgeon. He is the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida’s Director of Thoracic Surgery and Chair of Robotic Surgery.[1]
Dr. Thomas is skilled in the use of robotic surgery, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and single incision thoracic surgery, as well as in the management of complex chest wall diseases.
As part of the Mayo Clinic’s departments of Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery, and Thoracic Surgery, as well as the Lung Cancer Program, he collaborates with professional colleagues to find the personalized treatment plan that is most appropriate for his patients.
The Mayo Clinic sees between 100 and 150 mesothelioma patients each year, and its surgical and medical staff are experienced in the treatment of this challenging disease.[1]
Surgical Expertise
Dr. Thomas’s interest in minimally invasive surgery and the use of robotics in improving patient outcomes has led to his expertise in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, a technique that is used for extracting tissue samples from tumors for diagnostic purposes.
He is also an expert in single incision thoracic surgery and extrapleural pneumonectomy, a surgery that removes a lung and other tissue, including parts of the pleura, pericardium, lymph nodes, and diaphragm.
He has contributed to many research publications geared towards improving patient outcomes and immersive surgical techniques and is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences. Dr. Thomas directs the Chest Wall Resection and Reconstruction course at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons University.[1]
Awards and Memberships
Dr. Thomas has been recognized with many awards honoring his surgical excellence, including the Mayo Clinic 2022 Top Performer award, the “I am In” Innovation Award, and the Thoracic Surgery Foundation Research Grant Award given by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
He is a member of the Chest Wall Injury Society, the Surgical Quality Subcommittee of the Mayo Clinic Florida Committee, and the Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society.
