CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – Citrus Memorial Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center performed its first robotic-assisted procedure on Friday, February 5.
The robotic-assisted thoracic surgery – a lung wedge resection – was performed by cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr. Bao Hoang.
During wedge resection surgery a portion of a patient’s lung around a cancerous tumor is removed. The surgery is performed on patients with a metastatic tumor, early-stage lung cancer, lung nodules or lesions.
According to Hoang, robotic-assisted lung surgery provides a benefit to both the patient and surgeon.
“The robot gives the surgeon a better view allowing for a more meticulous dissection, especially of the lymph nodes. We can really see what we’re doing because the visualization is so much better and we can get all the lymph nodes out that we need with tactile movements that allow us to do everything pinpoint,” he said. “Because of this precision we also have a better idea of cancer staging. Patients usually have fewer complications and a shorter hospital stay, while physicians are able to operate without fatigue as robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgeries are better on our backs and hands.”
By enabling efficient access throughout the abdomen or chest the robotic surgical system features include wristed instruments, 3D-HD visualization, intuitive motion, and an ergonomic design.
The surgeon is 100% in control of the robotic-assisted system, which translates hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body. The 3D-HD vision system provides surgeons a highly magnified view, virtually extending their eyes and hands into the patient.
“Citrus Memorial Hospital is committed to providing high quality heart and lung surgery care to the patients of Citrus County,” said Citrus Memorial Heart and Vascular Center Medical Director Dr. Peter Kim. “With the addition of robotic lung surgery to our program, patients will no longer have to travel long distances to receive exceptional and comprehensive lung care.”