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Lung tumors & lung cancer
Diagnosis and staging with EBUS/EUS and mediastinoscopy. Minor and major lung resections by video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) and robotic surgery: less pain, faster recovery.
Learn about EBUS / EUS →
Thoracic Surgery · Medellín, Colombia
Your breathing deserves
next-level precision.
I'm Dr. Willfredy Castaño Ruiz, a thoracic surgeon. I combine more than 15 years of experience with advanced fellowship training in Montreal, Canada — robotic surgery, esophageal surgery and interventional bronchoscopy-endoscopy — to take care of what matters most: your health and your quality of life.
Here you are not just another diagnosis. You are a person with questions, fears and plans. My job is to give you clear answers and the best treatment available, using minimally invasive technology and staying close to you from the first consultation to full recovery.
🇺🇸🇨🇦 I am fully fluent in English — no interpreters needed, ever.
Dr. Willfredy Castaño Ruiz
Thoracic · Endoscopic · Esophageal surgery
EBUS procedures
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National referral center · Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital
International training
CETOC Fellowship · Montreal 🇨🇦
Esophageal surgery · Interventional bronchoscopy-endoscopy · Robotic surgery
Years of experience
0
Lung tumors, chest diseases and complex airway management
In the OR — my favorite place to be (right after meeting you in consultation).
About me
High-complexity medicine,
deeply human care.
I am a thoracic surgeon trained at Universidad de Antioquia and Universidad El Bosque, with over 15 years of experience, a Master's degree in Thoracic Oncology and a CETOC Fellowship at Université de Montréal (Canada) in esophageal surgery, interventional bronchoscopy-endoscopy and robotic surgery.
My years in Canada left me a gift that is now yours: I am fully trilingual. I care for my patients in English, French and Spanish — no interpreters, no misunderstandings.
I perform my surgeries at Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital and IQ Interquirófanos, two of Medellín's highest-complexity institutions. I see my outpatient consultations at the Medical Tower of Clínica Las Américas (office 704). My philosophy is simple: cutting-edge technology at the service of real people, with clear explanations and shared decisions.
🎓 Training
U. de Antioquia · U. El Bosque · Master's in Thoracic Oncology · Fellowship Université de Montréal
🏥 Institutions
Surgery: Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital · IQ Interquirófanos
Outpatient consultation: Medical Tower, Clínica Las Américas
Services
The entire chest, one expert experience
From minimally invasive diagnostics to high-complexity robotic surgery. These are the problems I solve every day.
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Esophageal surgery
Esophageal tumors: endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), endoscopic procedures, and minor and major esophageal resections by laparoscopy and thoracoscopy. Also hiatal hernia and achalasia.
Specialty training in Montreal💧
Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
Thoracoscopic sympathectomy for excessive sweating of the hands, armpits and face, and for facial blushing. 100% effectiveness for sweaty hands — you leave the OR with completely dry hands.
Discover the definitive solution →🌬️
Complex airway
Subglottic and tracheal stenosis in adults and children: endoscopic and surgical therapy. Interventional bronchoscopy for obstructions, dilations and airway stents.
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Chest wall deformities
Correction of pectus excavatum (sunken chest), pectus carinatum and rib asymmetries. Functional and aesthetic results that restore confidence.
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Robotic thoracic surgery
Millimetric precision, minimal incisions and high-definition 3D vision. Robotic training from Montreal applied to lung, mediastinal and esophageal resections.
Severe COPD: endobronchial valves
Severe emphysema and breathless despite optimal inhaler therapy? Endoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves improves breathing and quality of life — through a bronchoscope, without opening the chest.
Costal cartilage grafts
I work together with the ENT surgeons at IQ Interquirófanos to harvest costal cartilage grafts for nasal reconstruction. Safe extraction, minimal scarring and expert chest-wall management.
Biopsy of very small or difficult nodules
Nodules of 5 to 10 mm or in hard-to-reach locations that others consider "impossible to biopsy": we mark them with image-guided coils and resect them precisely by thoracoscopy. Accurate diagnosis even in tiny lesions.
Free tool
AeroTamiz: should you get screened for lung cancer?
Early detection of lung cancer can save your life. Answer our smart questionnaire in 2 minutes and find out if you are a candidate for low-dose CT screening. Built by us, based on international criteria.
MEDETORAX Academy
Learn about your health, straight from your surgeon
My YouTube channel is 100% academic: educational videos where I explain procedures and chest diseases, and answer the questions my patients ask every day. (Videos are in Spanish — English subtitles available via YouTube.)
Early detection of lung cancer
Hyperhidrosis: the definitive surgical solution
What is an EBUS and how is it performed?
Training for healthcare professionals
EBUS courses, congresses and hands-on procedure training
Teaching doesn't stay on screen. I direct and take part in EBUS and interventional bronchoscopy courses, and in courses on lung resections by thoracoscopy —minimally invasive lobectomies and segmentectomies—, with hands-on training for physicians and specialists. I am also an invited speaker at national and international congresses of thoracic surgery.
- ✓ Theory-and-practice EBUS courses for specialists
- ✓ Training in lung lobectomies and segmentectomies by thoracoscopy
- ✓ Lectures and workshops at specialty congresses
Training on minimally invasive lung segmentectomies
Surgical procedure training
Community education
Health is defended with information
Interviews, media and outreach where we bring chest-health knowledge to people — because an informed patient makes better decisions.
🎙️ Taking part in the national consensus on lung resection in stage III lung cancer
In interviews and media, explaining chest health without jargon.
📚 Outreach that saves lives
I actively take part in national consensus panels, interviews and prevention campaigns — such as lung cancer screening. If you run a media outlet or a community space and would like to talk about lung health, write to us.
Medical Tourism
International patients, welcome to Medellín
Medellín is one of Latin America's leading healthcare destinations: internationally accredited hospitals, costs significantly lower than in North America and Europe, and the warmth Colombia is famous for.
If you are traveling from abroad, we coordinate everything with you before your trip: virtual case review, surgical plan, length of stay and remote post-operative follow-up. And since I trained in Montreal, your entire care happens directly in English or French — no interpreters between you and your surgeon.
- ✓ Pre-travel case evaluation by telemedicine
- ✓ Surgery at world-class institutions
- ✓ Logistical support during your stay
- ✓ Virtual post-op follow-up from your home country
🌎 National referral center
Patients referred from all over Colombia for EBUS/EUS and complex thoracic surgery.
🇨🇦 International standards
Protocols learned and applied from the Canadian healthcare system.
💬 Trilingual care
Consultations and follow-up in English, French and Spanish — no interpreters.
Online booking
Book your appointment in under a minute
Pick the day and time that suit you best. No phone calls, no waiting. International patients: you can also write us directly on WhatsApp.
Contact & locations
Find us in Medellín
Consultations and surgery at the city's most renowned institutions.
Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital
Office 152, Tower B, Floor 1 · Calle 78B No. 69-240, Medellín
Clínica Las Américas — Medical Tower
Office 704, Tower 2, Floor 7 · Diagonal 75B #2A-80, Medellín