Varun Puri, MD, MSCI

Thoracic Surgeon

Varun Puri

Appointment Options

Whether you’re seeking a new patient appointment or exploring treatment options and looking for a second opinion, our Siteman care coordinators are ready to assist you.

My Locations

Expertise & Training

Clinical Expertise

  • Lung and esophageal cancers and Barrett’s esophagus

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Surgery and Chief, Thoracic Surgery, WashU Medicine

Board Certification

  • 2008: American Board of Surgery
  • 2010: American Board of Thoracic Surgery

Training

  • 1998 - 2001: Resident, Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
  • 2002 - 2007: Resident, General Surgery, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE
  • 2007 - 2009: Fellow, Cardiothoracic Surgery, WashU Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Education

  • 1998: MBBS, All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, India
  • 2014: MSCI, WashU Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Research & Selected Publications

Research Interest

Evaluation of positron emission tomography in predicting survival after esophagectomy in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer; Determination of risk factors predictive of occult mediastinal lymph node involvement in patients with early non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): and evaluation of hand-held spirometry as an alternative to laboratory based volume-displacement spirometry in a low-risk population undergoing lung resection. Lobar distribution as a predictor of outcome in early stage lung cancer.

Research Publications

The impact of frailty on postoperative outcomes of veterans with stage I non-small cell lung cancer
Authors:

Seyoum N, Tohmasi S, Eaton DB, one or more additional authors omitted Puri V

Journal & Year:

Surgery | 2026

Lymphatic disruption drives lung transplant fibrosis through interleukin-1-mediated hyaluronan accumulation
Authors:

Shepherd HM, Li W, Kopecky BJ, one or more additional authors omitted Puri V, one or more additional authors omitted Kreisel D

Journal & Year:

Sci Transl Med | 2026

Synchronous Primary Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Trends in Management and Factors Associated With Improved Survival
Authors:

Brandt WS, Rossetti NE, Eaton DB, one or more additional authors omitted Puri V

Journal & Year:

Ann Thorac Surg | 2025

Association of Hospital Surgical Volume With Outcomes in Resected Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors:

Tohmasi S, Eaton DB, Heiden BT, one or more additional authors omitted Puri V

Journal & Year:

J Surg Res | 2025

Practice Patterns and Patient Travel Distances for Lung Cancer Surgery in the United States: Analyses of the Veterans Health Administration and the National Cancer Database
Authors:

Tohmasi S, Eaton DB, Rossetti NE, one or more additional authors omitted Puri V

Journal & Year:

Chest | 2025

Anatomic Lung Resection Is Associated With Improved Survival Compared With Wedge Resection for Stage IA (≤2 cm) NSCLC
Authors:

Seder CW, Chang SC, Towe CW, Puri V, one or more additional authors omitted Kozower BD

Journal & Year:

J Thorac Oncol | 2025

Declining Operative Experience in Pulmonary Resections for Cancer Among Trainees at Veterans Affairs Hospitals: A Concerning Trend in Thoracic Surgical Education
Authors:

Tohmasi S, Eaton DB, Brocke TK, one or more additional authors omitted Puri V

Journal & Year:

J Am Coll Surg | 2025

Use of a novel donor lung scoring system as a tool for increasing lung recovery for transplantation
Authors:

Bai YZ, Yan Y, Chang SH, one or more additional authors omitted Puri V

Journal & Year:

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg | 2025