Mr Francesco Di Chiara

About Mr Francesco Di Chiara

Mr Francesco Di Chiara MS THOR (Hons), FEBTS, MD is a highly accomplished Consultant Thoracic Surgeon with extensive expertise in advanced minimally invasive surgery. He has been a substantive consultant since 2016, practising at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, where he specialises in the treatment of thoracic endometriosis, thoracic outlet syndrome, rib fractures, lung cancer, and catamenial pneumothorax, as well as performing complex diaphragmatic procedures. Renowned for his pioneering contributions, Mr Di Chiara introduced uniportal VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery) at multiple institutions, including Oxford University Hospitals, where he also lectures on anatomy to medical students. He has performed complex procedures using this innovative, single-incision technique and serves as a proctor for advanced minimally invasive thoracic surgery, sharing his expertise with peers internationally. He also enhanced the ERAS programme for better return to full activity post-operatively. Mr Di Chiara qualified from the world-renowned Padua Medical School and then undertook extensive surgical training in cardiac, thoracic surgery, lung transplantation, and robotic surgery in both Italy and the United Kingdom. He specialised in thoracic surgery with full honours and distinction. His UK training included prestigious and high-volume centres such as the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, as well as institutions in Birmingham and Plymouth. He further honed his skills as a visiting fellow at leading international centres, including the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital and West China Hospital in Chengdu. His clinical interests include chest wall surgery, where he has led innovative approaches. He successfully integrated his unit into a national randomised control trial (RCT) on rib fracture management, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and is the principal investigator for Oxford University Thoracic Surgery in this trial. Collaborating as a researcher with a leading U.S.-based company, he developed innovative techniques and devices for rib fracture repair and mentored surgeons around the world in chest wall trauma management, aiming to revolutionise the field with new minimally invasive techniques. Among his groundbreaking achievements, he performed the first allograft sternal and clavicular replacement in the UK. Most importantly, he invented and perfected a new minimally invasive technique for thoracic outlet syndrome, which he pioneered. This innovative procedure uses a single very small incision in the chest to treat thoracic outlet syndrome without the need to dissect the nerves of the brachial plexus, thus reducing the risk of nerve injury. Additionally, it eliminates the need for a postoperative chest drain, further demonstrating his commitment to innovation. Mr Di Chiara is a board member of the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery (EBCTS) and an examiner for the European Board of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. His expertise extends to performing complex surgeries, including sleeve lobectomies, chest wall resections, and segmentectomies using his uniportal technique. He works closely with a multidisciplinary team to implement enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, ensuring optimal outcomes for his patients.