Dr. Brian Pettiford

Get to Know Dr. Brian Pettiford

Thoracic surgeon Dr. Brian Pettiford has helped turn the Ochsner Cancer Institute into a regional destination center for pleural mesothelioma treatment, attracting patients from throughout the Gulf Coast.

Pettiford joined a burgeoning thoracic oncology program in 2014, bringing his much-needed surgical skills to New Orleans, a previously underserved population with a high incidence rate for mesothelioma.

He has been performing both the extrapleural pneumonectomy and the pleurectomy and decortication surgeries for mesothelioma, allowing patients to survive this cancer with no definitive cure.

Pettiford’s primary interests are in malignant and benign diseases of the lungs. He also has extensive experience in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Many of his lung cancer treatments involve minimally invasive surgical procedures.

He is a big believer in the multidisciplinary approach to treatment, working closely with medical oncologists and radiation oncologists to personalize care for each patient.

“Our goal is for Ochsner to be the mesothelioma referral center for the entire Gulf South region,” Pettiford said. “We have the experience in handling these patients. We have cutting-edge therapies, the latest clinical trials. We’re not standard cookbook medical oncology. These patients need to be at a specialty center like ours to get the best treatment possible.”

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Specialties of Dr. Brian Pettiford

• Lung cancer
• Pleural mesothelioma
• Robotic surgery
• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Esophageal cancer
• Gastroesophageal reflux

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Dr. Brian Pettiford’s Experience and Medical Education

• Ochsner Medical Center
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• WellSpan Health System, York, Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Fellowship, residency and M.D.)

Awards and Certifications for Dr. Brian Pettiford

• Board certified in thoracic surgery
• American College of Surgeons (Fellow)
• Southern Thoracic Surgical Society (Member)
• Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society (Member)

Publications of Dr. Brian Pettiford

• Hann, M.C. et al. (2018). Novel Chest Wall Reconstruction Following Excision of an Xiphisternal Chondrosarcoma. The Ochsner Journal.
• Pettiford, B.L. et al. (2010, January). Anterior minithoracotomy: a direct approach to the difficult hilum for upper lobectomy, pneumonectomy, and sleeve lobectomy. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
• Pettiford, B.L. et al. (2008, December). Technical Challenges and Utility of Anterior Exposure for Thoracic Spine Pathology. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
• Schuchert, M.J. et al. (2007, September). Anatomic segmentectomy in the treatment of stage I non-small cell lung cancer. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.