Brian Mitzman
( out of 181 reviews )

Brian Mitzman, MD, MSCI, FACS, FCCP

Clinical Locations

Huntsman Cancer Institute - Cancer Hospital South

Clinic 1A, Thoracic
801-587-4470

University of Utah Hospital

Cardiothoracic Surgery
801-581-2121

  • 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 181 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.

    September 26, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Comfortable and easily understandable information.

    September 24, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Doctor Mitzman is a supper great surgeon and person. I cant say enough about his skills. Highly recommend to any one, hes great.

    September 17, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr. Mitzman was very knowledgeable, kind, and clear in explaining his impressions of my CT scans and next steps in my care. He provided ample time for me to ask questions and provided clear and honest answers. He was also very reassuring as to being able to contact him going forward with additional questions.

    September 12, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Wonderful doctor very kind listens to me

    September 11, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    He was very personable, knowledgeable, and confident. I trusted him with my daughters care immediately and am totally comfortable moving forward with treatment.

    September 10, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Doctor Mitzman has been very open in his discussions regarding my health challenges. He has always exhibited a high degree of professionalism as well as offering support and being attentive to the needs of my family support as well as my needs. He explains things openly, honestly and clearly. His confidence and trust in his team is clear and he verbalizes his support for and of them which enhances the overall experience. It's been a comfortable experience working with him and his team in a situation that could be very uncomfortable and worrying.

    September 10, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    He was aware of my travel time and distance and gave me an option for zoom on my next yearly followup

    August 24, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr. Mitzman is likely the best doctor to provide treatment to me. Caring, professional, and on time.

    August 05, 2023
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    I am very happy with my experience with Dr. Mitzman. He was definitely the right doctor for me to see and I feel very fortunate about that. He was definitely looking out for my best interests and guiding forward

    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.
    3. Mitzman B (2022). Let's Talk About Those Lymph Nodes. Ann Thorac Surg, 115(1), 182-183.
    4. Mitzman B (2022). Fighting the Clock: Minimizing Time-to-Treatment. Ann Thorac Surg.
    5. Mitzman B (2022). A More Accurate Crystal Ball for Lung Surgeons. Ann Thorac Surg, 114(6), 2057-2058.
    6. Mitzman B, Chikwe J (2022). Editors' Choice: Challenges of Randomized Trials of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Ann Thorac Surg, 114(5), 1531-1533.
    7. Mitzman B (2022). It's All About the Nodes. Ann Thorac Surg.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    11. Mitzman B (2021). Similar Yet Different: The COVID-19 Pneumothorax. Ann Thorac Surg.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.

    Review

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

    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.
    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.
    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.

    Editorial

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

    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.