Board Certified
Dr. James R. Whitfield, MD, FACS
Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery
2,100+Thoracic Procedures
Here's what patients say about the experience — in their own words, verified and unfiltered.
No appointment required to read reviews. No email needed to explore outcomes.
Patient Voices
Real patients. Verified outcomes.
Every review below is sourced from a verified platform — Healthgrades, Google, or Zocdoc. Nothing is edited.
Lung Resection (VATS Lobectomy)
Margaret Chen, 58
Evanston, IL
“I came in terrified. I left feeling like someone had actually listened to me.”
Dr. Whitfield spent 40 minutes with me before the surgery explaining exactly what would happen. Not the pamphlet version — the real version. When I woke up, everything he described had happened. The pain was managed better than I ever expected after having part of my lung removed.
“He told me the survival numbers before I asked. That's when I knew.”
Most doctors soften everything. Dr. Whitfield sat down with a printout of the hospital's actual outcome data — not a brochure — and walked me through where his numbers stood versus the national benchmark. I had esophageal cancer. I needed to know I wasn't choosing wrong. He gave me the information to make that decision with confidence.
Esophageal Cancer Surgery
Robert Okafor, 64
Chicago, IL
Mediastinal Mass Resection
Diana Kowalski, 47
Naperville, IL
“My cardiologist said 'if you're going to have this done, Whitfield is who you want.'”
I had a mass pressing on my trachea. Three different doctors told me it was inoperable. Dr. Whitfield reviewed my scans and said it was complex, not impossible. He was right. I'm six months post-op and my breathing tests are back to normal. My referring cardiologist called it the best outcome he'd seen for this type of case.
Procedure Education
What to expect — plainly explained
The frightened 2am search deserves a real answer, not a pamphlet. Select your procedure.
Right Upper Lobe
The most common site for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Resection removes the affected lobe while preserving remaining lung function.
Procedure
Lung Resection
VATS Lobectomy & Segmentectomy
Removal of a lobe or segment of lung tissue through small incisions using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Most patients leave the hospital in 3–4 days.
Recovery Timeline
What happens after surgery
Chest tube management, breathing exercises, ambulation begins day 1
Pain managed orally, no driving, short walks daily
Breathing function measured, activity gradually restored
Surveillance imaging to confirm clear margins
89% of patients return to pre-surgical activity level
Ready for the full picture?
The Pre-Surgery Guide covers every step from diagnosis to 6-month follow-up — in plain language.
Download Free Guide340+ Verified Reviews
Read more by procedure
Across all platforms
Google · Healthgrades · Zocdoc
“He explained the surgery like he was describing a route he'd driven a thousand times. Calm, precise, no drama. That's exactly what you need before someone opens your chest.”
“Eleven months post-op. I'm eating normally, hiking again, and my last scan was clean. That's the whole story.”
“My referring oncologist told me this was the most complex chest wall case she'd sent to Dr. Whitfield. He didn't blink. Neither did his outcomes.”
“I was 67, stage II, and convinced I was too old for surgery. He showed me the data. Patients my age, my exact staging. The evidence was overwhelming.”
“Every question I had — no matter how basic — he answered completely. I never felt rushed. I never felt like a chart number.”
“His complication rate is on his website. Publicly. That's either extraordinary confidence or extraordinary results. In his case, it's both.”
“My pulmonologist called me three days after my discharge to say Dr. Whitfield had already sent her a full summary. That's the level of coordination I needed.”
“At 71, I expected to be told to manage it conservatively. Instead I got a surgeon who said: let's fix it. Four months later, I'm breathing better than I have in a decade.”
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Pre-Surgery Guide
Written in plain language, not medical jargon. 24 pages covering what to expect from diagnosis through your 6-month follow-up — questions to ask, what to pack, how to prepare your home, and what recovery actually feels like.
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