Brian Mitzman
( out of 89 reviews )

Brian Mitzman, MD, MSCI, FACS, FCCP

Clinical Locations

Huntsman Cancer Institute - Cancer Hospital South

Clinic 1A, Thoracic
Salt Lake City
801-587-4470

University of Utah Hospital

Cardiothoracic Surgery
Salt Lake City
801-581-2121

Veterans Administration Medical Center

Salt Lake City

  • Dr. Brian Mitzman is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute, focusing on non-cardiac General Thoracic Surgery.

    Dr. Mitzman completed formal cardiothoracic surgery training at the University of Chicago. His clinical interests concentrate on Thoracic Surgical Oncology, and specifically the application of robotics for complex tumors. He previously completed all the requirements for certification under the American Association of Thoracic Surgery Robotics Fellowship, and currently serves as the Director of Robotic Thoracic Surgery at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He is also an Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency, with an emphasis on robotic surgical training.

    As a Huntsman Cancer Institute Investigator, Dr. Mitzman’s research interests focus on clinical outcomes and optimizing treatment approach for lung and esophageal cancer. He has specific expertise in cost-effectiveness, and determining the appropriate balance of cost and innovation in surgical technology. His research has been presented at both the Society for Thoracic Surgeons and American Association of Thoracic Surgery annual meetings. He has also been an invited author on numerous textbook chapters utilized by both trainees and practicing thoracic surgeons.

    Along with his research interests, Dr. Mitzman has a passion for surgical education and has held numerous national positions, including participating on the American College of Surgeons Operative Decision Making Workforce, the ACGME Milestones 2.0 Committee, and the STS Communications Taskforce. He currently serves as a Senior Editor for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, an editorial board member for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and as an Associate Editor of CTSNet (http://www.ctsnet.org). In addition, he has been invited as a peer-reviewer for other numerous high impact journals, including the Journal for Surgical Research and Innovations.

    Specialties

    Board Certification

    American Board of Surgery
    American Board of Thoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surg)

    Patient Rating

    5.0 /5
    ( out of 89 reviews )

    The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers.

    The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

    Patient Comments

    Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety.
    Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

    February 25, 2024
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr Mitzman made me so comfortable and help guide us through decisions. He described options and plans and what he described was exactly what happened.

    February 05, 2024
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr. Mitzman is an excellent surgeon that gave me the greatest gift by reconstructing my chest wall to correct a deformity caused by another surgeon, that I have struggled to live with for the past 5 years. I cannot thank him enough for this gift! I am so blessed to have connected with him and his amazing team.

    January 27, 2024
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    I think Dr. Mitzman is awesome!

    December 05, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    He seems to actually care.

    November 20, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    please see the above comments on the professionalism and compassion of Dr. Mitzman.

    November 12, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr Mitzman was so kind and explained the procedure in a way that made me feel confident. I feel comfortable in his hands.

    November 09, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr. Mitzman is a phenomenal physician. When I first met him, I was impressed by how confident he is. This is a trait I need to see in a surgeon before they operate on me. He explained all sides and effects of the procedure I needed. He made sure I was included in decisions about my care. I was also impressed with his bedside manner. I've had may surgeries over the years, and Dr. Mitzman has the best bedside manner I've received from a surgeon. It's not often to find that trait in a surgeon, and when you do, you truly feel safe and cared for. I felt like Dr. Mitsman truly cared about me and saw me as a person with a life. I have felt listed to and safe the entire time I've been in Dr. Mitzman's care. His team carries his traits with them as well. I couldn't have had a better experience with this care team and with this outstanding physician.

    November 09, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    His manner is excellent . Even though I've told him the end of the world is Thursday he's still willing to stick around and help me

    November 06, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Wow we feel we are truly where we need to be. He was great at explaining what it it, what needs to be done, how we are going to do it. He has been working well with DrBarrell and it¿s a great team. We feel he truly cares and trust him.

    See More Patient Comments

  • Dr. Brian Mitzman is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute, focusing on non-cardiac General Thoracic Surgery.

    Dr. Mitzman completed formal cardiothoracic surgery training at the University of Chicago. His clinical interests concentrate on Thoracic Surgical Oncology, and specifically the application of robotics for complex tumors. He previously completed all the requirements for certification under the American Association of Thoracic Surgery Robotics Fellowship, and currently serves as the Director of Robotic Thoracic Surgery at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He is also an Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency, with an emphasis on robotic surgical training.

    As a Huntsman Cancer Institute Investigator, Dr. Mitzman’s research interests focus on clinical outcomes and optimizing treatment approach for lung and esophageal cancer. He has specific expertise in cost-effectiveness, and determining the appropriate balance of cost and innovation in surgical technology. His research has been presented at both the Society for Thoracic Surgeons and American Association of Thoracic Surgery annual meetings. He has also been an invited author on numerous textbook chapters utilized by both trainees and practicing thoracic surgeons.

    Along with his research interests, Dr. Mitzman has a passion for surgical education and has held numerous national positions, including participating on the American College of Surgeons Operative Decision Making Workforce, the ACGME Milestones 2.0 Committee, and the STS Communications Taskforce. He currently serves as a Senior Editor for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, an editorial board member for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and as an Associate Editor of CTSNet (http://www.ctsnet.org). In addition, he has been invited as a peer-reviewer for other numerous high impact journals, including the Journal for Surgical Research and Innovations.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Surgery -Primary
    Academic Divisions Cardiothoracic Surgery
    Board Certification
    American Board of Surgery
    American Board of Thoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surg)

    Education history

    Graduate Training University of Utah M.S.C.I
    Cardiothoracic Surgery, Thoracic Track - University of Chicago Medicine Fellow
    Residency General Surgery - Lenox Hill Hospital Administrative Chief Resident
    General Surgery - Lenox Hill Hospital Resident
    Professional Medical Medicine - University at Buffalo School of Medicine M.D.
    Major: Biomedical Sciences; Minor: Biochemical Pharmacology - University at Buffalo B.S.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Brownlee A, Mitzman B, Ferguson MK (). Discharge Without a Chest Tube: A Safe and Cost Effective Approach to Mediastinal Biopsy. (Epub ahead of print) Ann Thorac Surg.
    2. Mitzman B (2022). Lung Cancer Treatment Is a Team Sport. Ann Thorac Surg, 115(2), 345-346. (Read full article)
    3. Mitzman B (2022). Let's Talk About Those Lymph Nodes. Ann Thorac Surg, 115(1), 182-183. (Read full article)
    4. Mitzman B (2022). Fighting the Clock: Minimizing Time-to-Treatment. Ann Thorac Surg. (Read full article)
    5. Mitzman B (2022). A More Accurate Crystal Ball for Lung Surgeons. Ann Thorac Surg, 114(6), 2057-2058. (Read full article)
    6. Mitzman B, Chikwe J (2022). Editors' Choice: Challenges of Randomized Trials of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Ann Thorac Surg, 114(5), 1531-1533. (Read full article)
    7. Mitzman B (2022). It's All About the Nodes. Ann Thorac Surg. (Read full article)
    8. Mitzman B, Wang X, Haaland B, Varghese TK Jr (2022). Trends and factors affecting approach choice to pulmonary resection. J Surg Oncol, 126(3), 599-608. (Read full article)
    9. Mitzman B, Varghese TK Jr, Kuchta K, Krantz SB (2021). National guideline concordance and outcomes for pathologic N2 disease in non-small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Dis, 14(5), 1360-1373. (Read full article)
    10. Kent MS, Hartwig MG, Vallires E, Abbas AE, Cerfolio RJ, Dylewski MR, Fabian T, Herrera LJ, Jett KG, Lazzaro RS, Meyers B, Mitzman BA, Reddy RM, Reed MF, Rice DC, Ross P, Sarkaria IS, Schumacher LY, Tisol WB, Wigle DA, Zervos M (2021). Pulmonary Open, Robotic and Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (PORTaL) Study: An Analysis of 5,721 Cases. Ann Surg. (Read full article)
    11. Mitzman B (2021). Similar Yet Different: The COVID-19 Pneumothorax. Ann Thorac Surg. (Read full article)
    12. Angel LF, Amoroso NE, Rafeq S, Mitzman B, Goldenberg R, Shekar SP, Troxel AB, Zhang Y, Chang SH, Kwak P, Amin MR, Sureau K, Nafday HB, Thomas S, Kon Z, Sommer PM, Segal LN, Moore WH, Cerfolio R (2021). Percutaneous Dilational Tracheostomy for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation. Crit Care Med, 49, 1058-1067. (Read full article)
    13. Antonoff MB, Mitzman B, Backhus L, Bradbury ST, Chatterjee S, Cooke DT, Crestanello J, Goldstone AB, Kim KM, Nguyen TC, Romano JC, Vaporciyan AA, Varghese TK Jr (2020). The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Virtual Conference Taskforce: Recommendations for Hosting a Virtual Surgical Meeting. Ann Thorac Surg, 111(1), 16-23. (Read full article)
    14. Brownlee AR, Mitzman B, Cyzman R, Ferguson MK (2020). Outpatient Thoracoscopic Mediastinal Biopsy: A Safe and Cost-Effective Approach. Ann Thorac Surg, 110(5), 1726-1729. (Read full article)
    15. Angel L, Kon ZN, Chang SH, Rafeq S, Palasamudram Shekar S, Mitzman B, Amoroso N, Goldenberg R, Sureau K, Smith DE, Cerfolio RJ (2020). Novel Percutaneous Tracheostomy for Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19. Ann Thorac Surg, 110(3), 1006-1011. (Read full article)
    16. Geraci TC, Ferrari-Light D, Wang S, Mitzman B, Chang SH, Kent A, Pass HI, Bizekis C, Zervos M, Cerfolio RJ (2020). Robotic Sleeve Resection of the Airway: Outcomes and Technical Conduct Using Video Vignettes. Ann Thorac Surg, 110(1), 236-240. (Read full article)
    17. Balkhy HH, Kitahara H, Mitzman B, Nisivaco S (2019). Robotic totally endoscopic beating-heart bypass to the right coronary artery: first worldwide experience. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg, 57(3), 529-534. (Read full article)
    18. Ferguson MK, Mitzman B, Derstine B, Lee SM, Pienta MJ, Wang SC, Lin J (2019). A Morphomic Index Is an Independent Predictor of Survival After Lung Cancer Resection. Ann Thorac Surg, 109(3), 873-878. (Read full article)
    19. Mitzman B, Schipper PH, Edwards MA, Kim S, Ferguson MK (2018). Complications After Esophagectomy Are Associated With Extremes of Body Mass Index. Ann Thorac Surg, 106(4), 973-980. (Read full article)
    20. Krantz SB, Mitzman B, Lutfi W, Kuchta K, Wang CH, Howington JA, Kim KW (2018). Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Shows No Survival Advantage to Chemotherapy Alone in Stage IIIA Patients. Ann Thorac Surg, 105(4), 1008-1016. (Read full article)
    21. Mitzman B, Lutfi W, Wang CH, Krantz S, Howington JA, Kim KW (2017). Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy Provides Equivalent Survival to Open Esophagectomy: An Analysis of the National Cancer Database. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 29(2), 244-253. (Read full article)
    22. Mitzman B, Cottam D, Goriparthi R, Cottam S, Zaveri H, Surve A, Roslin MS (2016). Stomach Intestinal Pylorus Sparing (SIPS) Surgery for Morbid Obesity: Retrospective Analyses of Our Preliminary Experience. Obes Surg, 26(9), 2098-2104. (Read full article)
    23. Roslin MS, Gagner M, Goriparthi R, Mitzman B (2014). The rationale for a duodenal switch as the primary surgical treatment of advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic disease. Surg Obes Relat Dis, 11(3), 704-10. (Read full article)
    24. Mitzman B, Caronia J, Mina B, Stavropoulos C (2015). Incidental tracheal diverticulum discovered 30 years after tracheo-esophageal fistula repair. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol, 22(1), 73-5. (Read full article)

    Review

    1. Mitzman B, Smith BK, Varghese TK Jr (2022). Resident Training in Robotic Thoracic Surgery. [Review]. Thorac Surg Clin, 33(1), 25-32. (Read full article)

    Book Chapter

    1. Mitzman B (). VATS vs Open Decortication for Pleural Empyema. In Ferguson M (Ed.), Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery: An Evidence-Based Approach (4th edition). London: Springer.
    2. Mitzman B, Ferguson MK (2020). Resection of Benign Tumors of the Esophagus. In Sugarbaker DJ, Bueno R, Burt BM, Groth SS, Loor G, Wolf AS, Williams M, Adams A (Eds.), Sugarbaker’s Adult Chest Surgery (3 edition). McGraw-Hill Education.
    3. Mitzman B, Ferguson MK (2020). Selection and Placement of Conduits. In Pearson’s Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery (4th edition). Available: Https://sts.gitbooks.io/pearsons-thoracic/: Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

    Case Report

    1. Mirzai S, Yang B, Mitzman B, Torregrossa G, Balkhy HH (2020). Robotic Repair of Adult Left-Sided Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection. Ann Thorac Surg, 111(2), e77-e79. (Read full article)
    2. Daskalaki D, Hakmi H, Stright A, Mitzman B, Mair ER, Joseph DK, Baltazar GA (2020). Bullet embolization to the heart: A rare and confounding penetrating cardiac injury case report. Int J Surg Case Rep, 73, 35-38. (Read full article)
    3. Balaney B, Mitzman B, Fung J, Paul JD (2018). Diagnosis and management of rare inferior vena cava leiomyosarcoma guided by a novel minimally invasive vascular biopsy technique. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv, 92(4), 752-756. (Read full article)

    Editorial

    1. Mitzman B (2022). Is Less Really More? Sublobar Resection in the Elderly. Ann Surg Oncol, 30(3), 1293-1294. (Read full article)
    2. Chikwe J, Mitzman B (2022). Editor's Choice: A Place for All Thoracic Surgeons. Ann Thorac Surg, 114(6), 1991-1994. (Read full article)
    3. Mitzman B, Chikwe J (2022). Editor's Choice: The Biggest Challenges in Cardiothoracic Surgery. Ann Thorac Surg, 114(4), 1099-1103. (Read full article)
    4. Mitzman B (2022). Commentary: Sunlight, lasers, or knives? How to treat typical carcinoid tumors. JTCVS Tech, 15, 164. (Read full article)
    5. Mitzman B (2022). Commentary: A New Double-Blinded Study: The Residency Application Process. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. (Read full article)
    6. Sridhar P, Mitzman B (2022). Commentary: Anatomic segmentectomy: The exception, not the rule. JTCVS Open, 9, 279-280. (Read full article)
    7. Mitzman B (2021). Commentary: Battle of the bulge. JTCVS Tech, 10, 538-539. (Read full article)
    8. Mitzman B (2021). Commentary: A new "lost" generation. JTCVS Open, 7, 411-412. (Read full article)
    9. Mitzman B (2021). Commentary: Matters of the Heart: Understanding the Unusual. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. (Read full article)
    10. Mitzman B (2021). Commentary: Rise of the machines. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. (Read full article)
    11. Mitzman B, Beller JP, Edgar L (2020). Thoracic surgery milestones 2.0: Rationale and revision. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 160(5), 1399-1404. (Read full article)
    12. Mitzman B (2020). Commentary: Time to take ownership of the first rib. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 162, 1308-1309. (Read full article)
    13. Mitzman B (2019). Commentary: Taking matters into your own hands: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for controlled reperfusion during lung transplantation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 160(1), 330-331. (Read full article)
    14. Mitzman B (2020). Commentary: Knowing when to accept and when to change: 30-day mortality is good enough. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. (Read full article)
    15. Mitzman B (2020). Commentary: A call-to-arms: Shifting culture in cardiothoracic surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. (Read full article)
    16. Mitzman B (2020). Commentary: Resecting the Inoperable - Pushing the Boundaries for Individualized Treatment. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 32(4), 1138-1139. (Read full article)

    Video/Film/CD/Web/Podcast

    1. Mitzman B (2020). Transitioning to the OR at Your New Insitution [Web]. Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
    2. Antonoff M, Mitzman B, Maddaus M, Mehran RJ (2020). Managing Crises: Surviving the Pandemic and Resilience Beyond [Live Stream] [Web]. CTSNet.
    3. Nguyen TC, Chikwe J, Mitzman B (2020). Global COVID Grand Rounds [Live Stream] [Web]. CTSNet.
    4. Antonoff M, Edwards M, Mitzman B, Gillaspie E (2020). Wellness for the Healthcare Professional During the Pandemic [Video]. CTSNet.
    5. Mitzman B, Yang S, Brownlee A, Sudarshan M (2020). The Effect of COVID-19 on Cardiothoracic Surgery Education [Video]. CTSNet.
    6. Mitzman B, Wood D (2020). Definition of Necessary Surgery in the Age of COVID-19: An Interview with Douglas E. Wood [Video]. CTSNet.
    7. Mitzman B, Cheng A, Sihoe A, Gerosa G (2020). COVID-19: An international Perspective [Video]. CTSNet.
    8. Mitzman B, McCrorey M M, Patel B, Balkhy HH (2018). Anastomotic Techniques for Robotic Beating-Heart Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass [Video]. CTSNet.
    9. Dunning J, Mitzman B (2018). Interview with Brian Mitzman: Winner of the 2017 CTSNet Resident Video Competition [Video]. https://ctsnet.org/article/interview-brian-mitzman-winner-2017-ctsnet-resident-video-competition: eTSNet.

  • News & Podcasts

    Huntsman Cancer Institute News