Dr. John Mitchell

Get to Know Dr. John D. Mitchell

Dr. John Mitchell is a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at University of Colorado School of Medicine, and in 2007 he became the first Courtenay C. and Lucy Patten Davis Endowed Chair in Thoracic Surgery.

His clinical interests include lung cancer, esophageal surgery, minimally invasive thoracic surgery and surgery of the airways. He also does advanced thoracoscopic surgery, including VATS lobectomy and robotic thoracic surgery.

Mitchell has teamed with Dr. Michael Weyant as part of the multidisciplinary approach to lung and thoracic diseases at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Both are involved in minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer that allows patients to recover quicker compared to conventional surgery. They specialize in airway reconstruction that results in more normal lung function after extensive surgery.

Mitchell graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School, where he went on an armed forces scholarship. He did residencies in both cardiothoracic surgery and general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital as part of the Harvard Medical School Program. 

He spent four years on active duty in the Navy, fulfilling his military obligation, before joining the faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2002 he was recruited to the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Specialties of Dr. John D. Mitchell

• Pleural mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Thoracic surgery
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Research

Dr. John D. Mitchell’s Experience and Medical Education

• University of Colorado School of Medicine
• National Jewish Health
• Stanford University School of Medicine
• University of Michigan Medical School (M.D.)
• Massachusetts General Hospital (Residency)
• Massachusetts General Hospital (Internship)

Awards and Certifications

• Pioneer Award, University of Colorado Hospital (2011)
• America’s Top Doctors, Castle Connolly (2010-2020)
• Donald B. Doty Educational Award, Western Thoracic Surgical Association (2008)
• Courtenay C. and Lucy Patten Davis Endowed Chair in Thoracic Surgery (2007)
• Top Doctor, 5280 magazine (2006-2011)

Publications of Dr. John D. Mitchell

• Abrams, B.A. et al. (2020, November). Postdischarge Pain Management After Thoracic Surgery: A Patient-Centered Approach. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 
• Ghincea, C.V. (2020, November). Right Thoracoscopic Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery Division and Subclavian-Carotid Transposition. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 
• Servais, E.L. at al. (2020, June). The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database: 2020 Update on Outcomes and Research. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.