Dr. Seth Force

Get to Know Dr. Seth D. Force

Dr. Seth Force serves as surgical director of the thoracic oncology program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, treating patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Winship is the only center in Georgia with a National Cancer Institute designation, and has the vast resources necessary to successfully provide mesothelioma treatment and therapies for other complex diseases.

Force is best known for building the acclaimed adult lung transplant program at the Emory University School of Medicine, which performs an estimated 30 procedures annually.

He also specializes in minimally invasive surgery for lung and esophageal cancer and performs mediastinum and hiatal hernia surgery. 

With the majority of mesothelioma patients not eligible for his aggressive, potentially curative surgery, Force has become a leading proponent of early screening for at-risk patients.

Much of his research revolves around lung transplantation. He serves as a professor of thoracic surgery at Emory University and director of the robotic thoracic surgery program.

Specialties of Dr. Seth D. Force

• Lung transplantation
• Thoracic surgery
• Lung cancer
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Esophageal cancer
• Pleural mesothelioma

Dr. Seth D. Force’s Experience and Education

• Winship Cancer Institute
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (Fellowship)
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Residency and internship)
• Tulane University School of Medicine (M.D.)

Awards and Certifications

• Board certified in thoracic surgery
• Emory Provider Excellence Award (2017)
• Atlanta’s Top Doctors, Atlanta Magazine (2009, 2011-2019)
• America’s Top Surgeons, Consumers’ Research Council of America (2010)
• Thoracic Surgery Teacher of the Year, Emory University School of Medicine (2010)
• Woodruff Leadership Academy (2008)

Publications of Dr. Seth D. Force

• Melvan, J.N. et al. (2020, November 11). Community Size and Lung Cancer Resection Outcomes: Studying the Society of Thoracic Surgery Database. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
• Valsangkar, N. et al. (2020, November 10). Association Between Patient Physical Function and Length of Stay After Thoracoscopic Lung Cancer Surgery. Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
• Medbery, R.L. et al. (2019, April 9). VATS Resection of Large Ectopic Posterior Mediastinal Cystic Parathyroid Adenoma. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
• Medbery, R.L. & Force, S.D. (2017, May 22). Quality and Cost of Thoracic Surgery. Thoracic Surgery Clinics.