[Thoracic surgery centers].

The term "center for thoracic surgery" needs to be defined with respect to "thoracic surgery" and "center". "Thoracic surgery" includes the knowledge, the technical skills, and the experience, which allows for a correct diagnosis and the surgical treatment of diseases of the chest (chest wall, pleura, lungs, trachea, bronchi, mediastinum, diaphragm and adjacent structures). The "center" is defined by the specific organisational structure facilitating interdisciplinary patients care according to international standards, education and training of surgeons and continuous clinical and experimental investigation in the field of thoracic surgery.