title: Franz John A. Torek.
abstract: Franz John A. Torek (1861 to 1938) is one of the pioneering surgeons in thoracic surgery. The son of German immigrants, he worked in the German (now Lenox Hill) Hospital in New York City. In 1913 he performed the first thoracic esophagectomy for cancer, and the patient survived for 12 years. We describe the surgical work and private life of Torek and recall the details of the groundbreaking operation.
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, USA. dubeczattila@gmail.com
authors: Attila
authors: A
authors: Dubecz
authors: Seymour I
authors: SI
authors: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States