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VATS Lobectomy
November 29, 2008 |
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 cardiothoracic 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.”
Now some new technology is helping ease that pain for many patients who undergo
a lobectomy. A lobectomy 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.DiGiorgi.
The tiny incisions and the use of a video assisted scope helps to ease the pain
of recovery for patients.
“When you do it minimally invasively without any rib-spreading,
at about a month only 5% of patients have significant pain, so the pain difference
is really tremendous.”
While he uses the VATS lobectomy to treat several lung cancer patients, Dr.DiGiorgi
says the technique can be used to treat other lung problems as well. “Most of it
is for lung cancer but really it can be sued 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.” |
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