Why I became a thoracic surgeon — and why it still matters to me every day
I grew up in central Italy. My uncle was a cardiothoracic anaesthetist — the person in our family who everyone turned to when something went wrong medically. When I broke my leg as a child and needed an operation, it was him who put me to sleep, and I watched him do it with a calm authority I never forgot.
A few years later, a surgeon came to give a talk at my school. When he began showing photographs of his work — chests opened, repaired, closed — I felt something shift. I realised I could make people better. I could see them smiling again. That was the day I decided to become a thoracic surgeon.
Twenty-five years on, that moment still informs how I approach every consultation. Surgery is not just a technical act — it is an intervention in someone's life at one of their most vulnerable moments. The training can be taught. The care for the person on the table has to come from somewhere else.
"Choosing the right surgeon for you is essential — after all, you are entrusting your life to them. I take that trust seriously in every operating theatre, every consultation, and every conversation."
— Mr Marco Scarci, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon, FRCS(Eng) FCCP FACS FEBTS
I am Italian by origin, British-trained, and internationally experienced. My career has taken me from Cambridge to London to Toronto to Milan and back. What I have kept constant through all of it is a commitment to offering each patient the most accurate diagnosis, the least invasive operation that achieves the goal, and a recovery supported by someone who knows their name.
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In numbers
From Chieti to Toronto — the making of a thoracic surgeon
Mr Scarci's training pathway took him through some of the most respected thoracic surgery programmes in Europe and North America before his consultant appointment in 2011.
MD with Honours — Università degli Studi 'Gabriele d'Annunzio', Chieti
Graduated with honours in Medicine and Surgery. Began cardiothoracic surgical residency at the same institution.
Foundation in surgical anatomy, pathophysiology, and operative technique
Cardiothoracic Surgery — St Luke's Hospital, Malta
Three years of broad cardiothoracic surgical training in a high-volume centre, developing core operative skills across the full range of thoracic and cardiac procedures.
Diploma of Specialisation in Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2007
Clinical Fellowship — Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust
Entry into the UK thoracic surgery training pathway. Exposure to high-volume NHS thoracic surgery and introduction to minimally invasive approaches.
Senior Clinical Fellowship — Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London
Senior fellowship at one of the UK's premier thoracic surgery programmes. Extensive exposure to lung cancer surgery, pleural disease, chest wall procedures, and complex thoracic oncology.
FRCS(Eng) awarded 2010
Thoracic Surgery Fellowship — University of Toronto, Canada
Fellowship in minimally invasive thoracic surgery at one of North America's leading centres. This fellowship forged the minimally invasive philosophy that defines Mr Scarci's practice today.
Specialism in VATS and robotic approaches — the cornerstone of his surgical practice
Consultant Thoracic Surgeon — Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge
Papworth is the UK's largest cardiothoracic centre. Appointed consultant at 35, Mr Scarci built his independent practice here, establishing expertise in complex lung cancer surgery, chest wall reconstruction, and minimally invasive procedures.
NHS Clinical Excellence Award 2013 · NHS Change Leaders Programme 2012–13
Consultant Thoracic Surgeon — University College London Hospital
UCLH is consistently ranked among the top NHS trusts in England. Mr Scarci continued developing his thoracic surgery programme, with particular focus on robotic surgery and complex lung cancer cases.
Director of Thoracic Surgery — San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
Led the thoracic surgery department at a major Italian teaching hospital. Directorial responsibility for programme development, teaching, and surgical outcomes.
Department director — strategic and clinical leadership
Consultant Thoracic Surgeon — Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, London
Currently based at Imperial College NHS Healthcare. Private practice at OneWelbeck, Harley Street Clinic, Bupa Cromwell Hospital, and Imperial Private Healthcare.
Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Imperial College London · Senior Clinical Tutor, University of Cambridge
Credentials — and what they mean for your care
These are not honorary titles. Each fellowship represents a formal examination by a professional body, assessing surgical competence, clinical knowledge, and professional standards.
FRCS(Eng)
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The UK's most rigorous surgical qualification — requiring written and clinical examinations and peer assessment of surgical competence.
FCCP
Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. Recognises advanced clinical and academic expertise in thoracic medicine and surgery — awarded by international peer review.
FACS
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Peer-elected fellowship recognising adherence to high standards of surgical practice, education, and ethics across international borders.
FEBTS
Fellow of the European Board of Thoracic Surgery. European certification confirming competence in the full scope of thoracic surgery to the standards of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
NHS Clinical Excellence Award (2013)
Awarded by the NHS for outstanding contribution to clinical excellence, patient care, and service development — assessed by an independent committee of senior clinicians.
GMC Registration: 6159768
Registered with the General Medical Council. Full registration with a licence to practise. Verifiable at gmc-uk.org.
Why research and teaching make a better surgeon
A surgeon who publishes research, teaches the next generation, and shapes the guidelines that define best practice is a surgeon who is always at the leading edge.
Published in the world's leading thoracic surgery journals. Research spanning lung cancer surgery, VATS techniques, chest wall reconstruction, and outcome measurement. All indexed on PubMed.
Author and editor of four published books on minimally invasive and open thoracic surgery — used as reference texts by thoracic surgeons in training around the world.
Co-specialty Chief Editor for Thoracic Surgery, Frontiers in Surgery. Associate Editor, Journal of Thoracic Disease and Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
Former Council Member and Director of the Annual Conference of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons — the largest thoracic surgery conference in the world.
Member of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence working groups — contributing to the clinical guidelines that define best practice in thoracic surgery across the UK.
Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Imperial College London. Senior Clinical Tutor, University of Cambridge. Teaching the next generation of thoracic surgeons.
What Mr Scarci treats — and how
A practice built entirely around the chest
Mr Scarci is a thoracic surgeon — meaning his surgical practice is entirely confined to the chest. He does not divide his attention between multiple organ systems. Every week, he performs lung cancer resections, chest wall repairs, and keyhole procedures that other surgeons might see once a year.
His surgical philosophy centres on minimally invasive technique wherever it can be performed safely — VATS and robotic-assisted approaches that offer smaller incisions, less post-operative pain, faster recovery, and better cosmetic results.
Every patient's case is reviewed in multidisciplinary context — with respiratory physicians, oncologists, radiologists, and specialist nurses — so that the surgical decision is never made in isolation from the broader clinical picture.
- Lung cancer surgery — VATS lobectomy, wedge resection, segmentectomy, robotic resection
- Pneumothorax / collapsed lung — VATS bullectomy, pleurodesis, recurrent episodes
- Pleural disease — effusion, biopsy, mesothelioma, pleurodesis, IPC
- Chest wall conditions — rib fractures (SSRF/ORIF), slipping rib, chest wall tumours
- Thymoma and mediastinal tumours — VATS and robotic thymectomy, thymic carcinoma
- Diaphragmatic conditions — plication (VATS), phrenic nerve injury
- Thoracic outlet syndrome — first rib resection, scalenectomy
- Pectus deformities — Nuss procedure, pectus carinatum correction
- Empyema and pleural infection — VATS drainage, decortication
- Hyperhidrosis and facial blushing — endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS)
- Catamenial pneumothorax and thoracic endometriosis
- Sternal fractures — assessment and plate fixation
What it's actually like to be Mr Scarci's patient
Many patients arrive having been through a confusing series of appointments where they left with more questions than they arrived with. This is what a consultation with Mr Scarci is like.
Your existing scans are reviewed in advance
Mr Scarci reviews all CT scans, MRI, blood tests, and clinical letters before you arrive. You are not meeting a surgeon who is seeing your case for the first time.
A consultation that leaves you with answers
The consultation typically runs 30–45 minutes. Every question is welcome. You receive a clear explanation of your diagnosis, the treatment options, and what happens next.
The surgeon you met is the one who operates
Mr Scarci performs every operation personally. There is no delegation to a trainee, no different team on the day.
Biopsy results discussed personally — within 24 hours
Pathology results are reviewed by Mr Scarci and discussed with you directly. You receive a call, not a letter forwarded to your GP.
Direct access between appointments
If something changes or you have a question, you can reach Mr Scarci directly — not a phone triage system or scheduled review.
All major insurers — we handle the paperwork
Pre-authorisation, claims, and insurer communication are managed by Mr Scarci's team on your behalf.
What patients say
Selected from verified reviews across Doctify, Google, and Top Doctors.
"As a doctor myself, I can say with utmost confidence that you will simply not find a cardiothoracic surgeon with the same depth and breadth of knowledge as Mr Marco Scarci. He is the most brilliant and compassionate thoracic surgeon I have encountered. I am travelling to him from the United States despite being affiliated with Johns Hopkins. He deserves to be in the surgical hall of fame."
"I have just had a first, remote consultation with Mr Scarci. I am completely stunned and so happy to have found him. In one consultation, he offered clarity on conditions I have been trying to speak to doctors about for some two years. A positive plan forward. I cannot recommend him highly enough."
Where Mr Scarci consults and operates
Mr Scarci practises at four London hospitals, allowing patients to choose the most convenient location.
OneWelbeck
1 Welbeck Street, W1G 0AR. One of London's newest private hospitals, adjacent to Harley Street.
Consultations · Minor proceduresHarley Street Clinic (HCA)
35 Weymouth Street, W1G 8BJ. Premier central London private hospital with full surgical facilities.
Consultations · SurgeryBupa Cromwell Hospital
Cromwell Road, SW5 0TU. One of London's leading private hospitals with a dedicated thoracic surgery programme.
Consultations · SurgeryImperial Private Healthcare
Sainsbury Wing, Hammersmith Hospital, W12 0HS. Part of Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust.
Consultations · SurgeryOnline and telephone consultations are available for initial consultations, second opinions, and international patients. Mr Scarci sees patients from across the UK and internationally — with many travelling from Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.
When it matters most, you deserve a surgeon who is completely prepared.
Mr Scarci reviews your scans before you arrive. He explains everything clearly. He operates personally. He calls you with results. A consultation is the beginning of that relationship.