Cleveland W. Lewis, Jr, MD

Dr. Cleveland Lewis is a thoracic surgeon, board-certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Lewis performs thoracic surgery procedures for adults suffering from benign and malignant disorders of the chest, with a multidisciplinary focus on the treatment of lung cancer. Focusing on personal interaction, Dr. Lewis provides care in a professional, warm and relaxed environment - seeing patients as individuals seeking expert care and advice. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, exercising and listening to jazz music.

Why should someone choose you to care for their health?
I have a 20-year experience in medicine dedicated to the treatment of diseases of the chest, with a focus on lung cancer. My clinical and operative experiences allow me to help patients make informed decisions regarding their care. During this time, I have also learned the importance of working with patients' physicians to provide a comprehensive, multi-specialty approach to making the best therapeutic decisions for patients.

What is the most important thing your patients should expect from their professional relationship with you? What do you expect from them?
My patients should expect me to use my knowledge and expertise to guide them in making competent and informed therapeutic decisions that are following the latest, and most up-to-date standard of care medical guidelines. I expect my patients to take part and ownership in their medical care and decisions because providing excellent medical care is a team effort - patient included.

How do you spend your valuable personal time when you’re not caring for patients?
Three passions fill my valuable personal time - cooking, exercising to stay fit and music. I love to see the satisfaction my meals bring to the people close to me. My father was a coach and he instilled in me the importance of health and fitness. Jazz has been a longtime passion of mine - I can listen to it for hours. It soothes my soul and relaxes my mind.

Why did you choose your specialty and what is its greatest reward?
I knew that I wanted to be a surgeon since as a medical student I would watch the surgeons at Duke seemingly work magic with their hands and minds. Exposed to thoracic surgery during residency, I always knew that treating lung cancer patients would be my career path. The combination of surgical skills, combined with the thought process that the oncologic principles require, attracted me to this challenging field - and I have no regret.