In the past lung surgery was considered quite invasive and many patients experienced pain long after the procedure was completed. Dr. Paul DiGiorgi is a cardiothoratic surgeon with Lee Memorial Health System. He says, “Pain after a large incision on the chest wall is significant and after about a month and a half the people will still have severe pain from that.”

Some new technology is helping ease that pain for many patients who undergo a lobectomy, which is a surgery where part of the lung is removed. “What’s called a VATS lobectomy and what that is, is a video assisted thorascopic surgery. It’s a minimally invasive surgery where instead of having a large incision on your chest we can do the same lung re-section using small ports,” says Dr. DiGorgi. The tiny incisions and the use of a video-assisted scope helps to ease the pain of recovery for many patients.

Dr. DiGorgi says, “When you do it minimally invasively without any rib-spreading at about a month only five percent of patients have significant pain so the pain difference is really tremendous.” While the VATS lobectomy is used to treat mainly lung cancer patients the technique can be used to treat other lung conditions as well. “Most of it is for lung cancer but really it can be used for any chest surgery, whether it’s a benign tumor, infusions or fluid on the lung, biopsies any lung surgery can be done minimally invasively.”

The VATS lobectomy is also helping save the lives of patients who would not have been allowed in the operating room in the past. Dr. DiGiorgi has been performing this type of surgery for a little more than a year in Fort Myers.