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Cardiac & thoracic surgery, endovascular & vascular surgery, wound care and hyperbaric medicine.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Thoracic Surgery
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
Vascular Surgery
Wound care
Licenses
United States: Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Doctor Q&A
47 Answers
19 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 51-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Good prognosis: If there are no other cardiac defects or other congenital abnormalities, children with transposition have a very good prognosis and life expectancy if... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends: The answer depends on several factors mainly having to do with how healthy the heart muscle is and how healthy the other organs are such as kidneys, l... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Not necessarily: Heart attack primarily pain or sudden death, heart failure primarily trouble breathing from fluid congestion.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Better outcome: Pro - in general, if you have 3 vessel coronary artery disease and require "triple bypass" surgery, you will fare better over the long run than you wo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
See below: Aneurysm - smoking, high blood pressure, family history, age. Embolism - heart rhythm abnormalities, blood clotting disorders, obesity, major surge... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends: It depends on the type of lung cancer and the stage at which it is identified. Stage 1a patients have a 75 - 80% cure rate with surgery and can live ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Probably not: Hiatal hernia (especially a small one) would be expected to cause symptoms of reflux which can be painful, but generally is not associated with swelli... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Risk factors: The more risk factors one has, the more likely they are to develop atherosclerotic vascular disease, whether that is in coronary arteries or other art... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends on stage: Stage 1a - maybe never (die of something else)
stage 4 - several weeks to few months.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Probably not: Splenic artery aneurysm is relatively uncommon and usually causes no symptoms. It can be detected by abdominal ct scan and sometimes sonogram. See you... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Probably not: While the symptoms of a heart attack can vary, the pain is generally described a pressure or crushing, not usually sharp and is generally not self-lim... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends: Often none initially. Symptoms can include chest pain, arm pain or numbness, fatigue, weight loss, coughing, coughing up blood or mucous, shortness o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends: Often none, but can cause chest pain, back pain, arm pain, shortness of breath and even sudden death if ruptures.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Yes: Exposure to asbestos increases the risk for a type of lung cancer known as mesothelioma. This can occur even many years after the exposure.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 59-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
If : If you are only having bypass surgery and not any heart valve surgery at the same time, it should be ok to go ahead with the bypass surgery and see th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Heart/brain: Heart attack - heart muscle dies or is temporarily injured (mi, acute coronary syndrome)
cerebral attack - brain tissues dies or is temporarily inj... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Very low: This would be very unusual unless there were very adverse circumstances - homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patient, Cocaine abuse and coronary... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
See below: Risks include death, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, respiratory failure, bleeding and infection. Gi or bowel or liver complications are much le... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
No: The symptoms can sometimes be similar, but a panic attack is an anxiety disorder while a heart attack is due to injury of the heart muscle from compro... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Probably : Pregnancy may worsen symptoms, but if the only symptom is pain without venous ulcers or blood clot, then it is ok to wait on surgery if you really wan... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Normal for varices: Varicose veins are not "normal, " but if you have varicose veins, they tend to behave this way - bulging after standing and going back down when not ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends: Many are diagnosed after only minor or unrelated symptoms and have very early stage disease. Some less fortunate patients have no to minimal symptoms... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Usually not: A resting ECG will usually tell if you are currently having or have had a heart attack in the past. It will not usually predict future risk. A stres... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Varies : Ranging from none to chronic smokers cough to violent coughing and coughing up blood.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Yes: Echocardiogram can indirectly suggest the possibility of a heart attack, but can also be more or less normal after a small heart attack. Its primary u... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends: This depends on the stage and type of lung cancer, ranging from complete cure chance of 75-80% with stage 1a to several weeks to few months with advan... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Symptoms vary : Chest pain, jaw pain, arm pain, back pain, upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, sweating, trouble breathing and profound fatigue could all be possi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends: There is no youngest age, but typically the risks of having a heart attack have to do with risk factors. These factors include high blood pressure, h... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Yes in general: Many people who have heart surgery can resume completely normal lives and activities after recovering from the surgery. The life expectancy of an giv... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Probably: If you are healthy 36 y/o woman with no symptoms and no risk factors, then probably normal exercise stress test is all you need. If you have risk fact... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Safe: Those meds should be safe.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Testing, monitoring: He should have a cardiac Echo to determine if ha has a bicuspid aortic valve and get yearly chest CT scans to monitor size. If he has bicuspid valve o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Weeks - months: Not long if the reason he is being put on narcotics is because there is nothing else to do for him or treat him with.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends: The answer depends on several factors mainly having to do with how healthy the heart muscle is and how healthy the other organs are such as kidneys, l... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Any age: From an overdose, there is no youngest age.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Not often: The lung itself does not feel pain in the usual sense of the word. Pain from lung cancer is caused by irritation of the pleura or lining of the chest... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Low: Possible, but low. The more risk factors one has, the higher the risk. These include family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Depends on stage: The mainstays of treatment for lung cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and various combinations of the above. The best treatment... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Pleural irritation: This is usually fluid outside the lung but inside the chest cavity which occurs to due the cancer irritating or invading the lining if the chest cavit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Yes/no: Pertioneal dialysis can definitely lead to abdominal infection, which can become life-threatening. However, this would not be expected to directly ca... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Yes: Aneurysms become more common with aging.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Various reasons: Usually it is because of loss of appetite caused by an ill-defined effect of the cancer. It can also be due to treatment effects such as nausea and p... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Yes: Possible, but highly unlikely.
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5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
See explanation: Ldh can be released from dying cells or congested cells
serum lactate is usually elevated from the person going into some degree of shock (this wou... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 59-year-old male asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Phlebologist: Often a vascular surgeon but there are also radiologists, dermatologists, general surgeons, plastic surgeons, family practice physicians and other dis... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
Generally not: Usually pericarditis is an inflammatory condition that occurs after heart attack or heart surgery. It can also occur with certain inflammatory or auto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. David Greenfieldanswered
Thoracic Surgery 39 years experience
If a patient only has one lung, then most surgical treatment options are not feasible or safe. Almost all surgical procedures on the lung use “single ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Answered Oct 10, 2021
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
69
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Greenfield is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Greenfield is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I'll stick with board certified phelbologist. Nice complete reply!
HealthTap member
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question! I appreciate it!
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas
Graduated 1984MD
Medical/Graduate school
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas, TX
Graduated 1984MD
Residency
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center / Medical College of Virginia
Residency
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA HOSPITALS
Residency
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA HOSPITALS
Residency
Hospital for Sick Children - Toronto, Canada
Awards
Top Doctor, First Place, Kingsport Region, TN - Summer
2013
Top Thoracic Surgeon , First Place, Tennessee - Summer
2013
HealthTap Founding Doctor
Affiliations
Southern Thoracic Surgical Association
Society of Thoracic Surgeons
American College of Cardiology
Publications
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