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Edit this profileAt a glance
- 979 E 3Rd St, Suite C520, Chattanooga, TN 37403
About Dr. Shears
Based in Chattanooga, TN, Larry L. Shears, MD is listed in the NPI registry under thoracic surgery. Larry graduated from West Virginia University School of Medicine in 1991. Larry is also listed as specializing in thoracic surgery (cardiothoracic) and surgery. According to Medicare claims data, Larry cared for 181 Medicare patients across 185 services. The services billed most often include harvest of vein using an endoscope, coronary artery bypass using artery graft, 1 graft, and new patient office or other outpatient visit with moderate level of medical decision making, if using time, 45 minutes or more. NPI 1922035864 identifies this record in the national registry.
Factual summary compiled by Guide.md from public records; not written by this provider.
Education & Training
Specialty
Credentials & Licensing
Medicare information
Exactly as CMS reports it (National Downloadable File, Opt-Out Affidavits, Order & Referring). Not an insurance directory; confirm coverage with the office.
Contact Information
- (423) 778-5661
- Email not available
Practice Locations
979 E 3RD ST SUITE C520
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Conditions Commonly Evaluated or Treated
Within Thoracic Surgery generally. Availability varies by clinician, training and location — this profile has not been claimed, so nothing here is a personal claim by the provider.
Conditions
Airway
Chest tumors
Chest wall
Diaphragm
Esophagus
Esophagus and stomach
- Acid reflux
- Barrett's esophagus
- Esophageal cancer
- Esophageal pouch
- Esophagus tear
- Hiatal hernia
- Swallowing difficulties
Heart lining
Infection
Lung
Lung cancer
Lung conditions
Nerves
Nerves and blood vessels
Neuromuscular
Pleural disease
Sweating disorders
Trauma
Vascular
Procedures & services
Airway
Airway surgery
Chest tumors
Chest wall
Chest wall surgery
- Broken rib plating surgery
- Chest wall reconstruction
- Sunken chest repair
- Thoracic Outlet Decompression
Diagnostic tests
Diagnostics
Diaphragm
Diaphragm surgery
Emphysema
Esophagus
Esophagus surgery
- Acid reflux surgery
- Esophageal dilation
- Esophageal stent placement
- Esophagus removal surgery
- Hiatal hernia surgery
- Peroral endoscopic myotomy
Fluid drainage
Heart lining
Lung surgery
- Collapsed lung surgery
- Lung cancer surgery
- Lung lining scraping and cleaning
- Lung nodule removal
- Lung valve placement for emphysema
- Minimally invasive lung surgery
Nerves
Pleural disease
Robotic surgery
Surgical approach
Sweat surgery
Transplant
Trauma
Procedures Most Often Billed to Medicare
185 services · 181 patients · 7 distinct codes
| Procedure | Type | Code | Services | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest of vein using an endoscope | Procedure | 33508 |
39 | More often than most peers in Thoracic Surgery |
| Coronary artery bypass using artery graft, 1 graft | Procedure | 33533 |
38 | More often than most peers in Thoracic Surgery |
| Coronary artery bypass using vein or artery graft, 2 grafts | Procedure | 33518 |
27 | More often than most peers in Thoracic Surgery |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit with moderate level of medical decision making, if using time, 45 minutes or more | Office visit | 99204 |
34 | More often than most peers in Thoracic Surgery |
| Initial hospital care with moderate level of medical decision making, if using time, at least 75 minutes | Office visit | 99223 |
23 | As often as other peers in Thoracic Surgery |
| Initial hospital care with straightforward or low-level medical decision making, if using time, at least 55 minutes | Office visit | 99222 |
12 | Less often than most peers in Thoracic Surgery |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit with low level od decision making, if using time, 20 minutes or more | Office visit | 99213 |
12 | Less often than most peers in Thoracic Surgery |
Source: CMS Medicare public data. Shows how often procedures were billed — not quality of care or patient satisfaction.
Related providers
Connections drawn from the registry and from what providers have told us. A link here is not a referral or an endorsement.
Related specialists at this location 1
Clinically related specialties at the same address — the people this provider most likely works alongside.
Also at this address 4
Providers at the same street address. Each files their own registry entry, so a shared practice often appears under several different names.
Other thoracic surgeons in Chattanooga 7
Same specialty, same city.
More connections — 21 related providers in 3 groups
Trained at West Virginia University School of Medicine 7
Other providers in the same specialty who trained at the same institution.
Class of 1991 at West Virginia University School of Medicine 8
Providers who graduated from the same medical school in the same year.
Also performs Harvest of vein using an endoscope 6
Providers in TN who bill this service to Medicare most often.
Common questions
What does Dr. Shears specialize in?
Dr. Shears is a thoracic surgeon in Chattanooga, TN. That is the designation recorded for this NPI in the federal registry, where it is listed as “Thoracic Surgery”.
NPI registry
Where is Dr. Shears located?
Dr. Shears is listed at 979 E 3Rd St Suite C520, Chattanooga, TN 37403. Addresses come from the NPI registry and can lag a move, so confirm before travelling.
NPI registry
What is Dr. Shears's phone number?
The number on file is (423) 778-5661. Contact the office directly to confirm availability and scheduling.
NPI registry
What is Dr. Shears's NPI number?
Dr. Shears's National Provider Identifier is 1922035864. It is issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and is unique and permanent — it does not change if they move practice.
NPI registry
Where did Dr. Shears go to medical school?
Dr. Shears attended West Virginia University School of Medicine, graduating in 1991. This comes from the CMS National Downloadable File.
CMS public data
How long has Dr. Shears been practicing?
Dr. Shears has 35 years experience. Calculated from a graduation year of 1991, reported in the CMS National Downloadable File.
CMS public data
What does Dr. Shears do most often?
According to Medicare billing data, Dr. Shears performs procedures including harvest of vein using an endoscope, coronary artery bypass using artery graft, 1 graft and coronary artery bypass using vein or artery graft, 2 grafts, alongside routine visits and testing. This reflects Medicare patients only and is billing volume, not a measure of quality.
Medicare claims
Has Dr. Shears confirmed this information?
Not yet. This profile is built from public federal data and has not been confirmed by Dr. Shears. If this is you, claiming it is free.
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