As an academic health system, in partnership with University of Louisville School of Medicine, we are developing future technologies, better processes and more advanced treatments. Such advancements include the way we perform surgeries, such as the use of robotic technology in the operating room.
Robotics are used as an instrument or tools, completely controlled by surgeons, to perform lung resections through small incisions. The robotic tool provides improved instrument dexterity, giving surgeons more precise control, and allowing for better visualization of the treated area as compared to other techniques.
Some robots can perform different types of surgeries, which consist of a patient cart, consisting of robotic arms and camera, and a console, where the surgeon sits to control the robotic camera and arms.
Robotic surgery impacts recovery significantly. Surgeons can perform complex surgeries through small incisions, resulting in less pain, shortening hospital stays and limiting pain medications compared to if these surgeries are performed through larger incisions.
Robotic surgery is used in some circumstances to confirm the diagnosis of cancer by resecting a small portion of the lung. It can also be used to treat cancer by taking a larger anatomic portion of the lung, known as a lobectomy. This surgery, in many circumstances, gives patients a good chance to be cured of early-stage lung cancers.
To learn more about the robotic lung surgery advancements at UofL Health, visit our website at UofLHealth.org or call 502-588-7600.
