First time using modern robot for lung cancer surgery

A 59-year-old male patient with stage I lung cancer recently underwent successful surgery at K Hospital using the Da Vinci Xi robotic system.

Previously, he had a persistent dry cough for several months, which he thought was a common respiratory illness. Upon examination at K Hospital, a tumor approximately 2.5 cm in size was discovered in the upper lobe of his right lung. Doctors assessed the patient as having stage I cancer, with no metastasis, and normal lung and cardiovascular function.

Robot-assisted lung cancer surgery for a patient. Photo: Provided by the hospital.

Doctors at K Hospital and Japanese experts held a consultation and decided to perform right upper lobe resection and systemic lymph node dissection using the Da Vinci Xi robot. The surgery lasted 3 hours and was successful.

Associate Professor Pham Van Binh, Deputy Director of K Hospital, said that open surgery for lung cancer is a classic method that has been applied in the treatment of lung cancer for a long time. However, this method often leaves a long scar that is aesthetically unappealing to patients, and the recovery process is longer.

The application of robotic surgery in thoracic surgery helps control blood loss, minimize the rate of complications, shorten hospital stays, and promote faster patient recovery. This is also the first successful lung cancer surgery performed at K Hospital using the Da Vinci Xi robotic system.

For the first time, K Hospital performed lung cancer surgery using a robot.

The Da Vinci Xi robot is the most advanced generation of robots currently available and the only system in Vietnam used at K Hospital. K Hospital has applied this robot to surgery for gastrointestinal cancers, head and neck cancers, gynecological cancers, urinary tract cancers, kidney cancers; and now lung cancer.

Lung cancer is one of the leading malignant diseases in terms of both the number of cases and the mortality rate among common cancers in both sexes. In Vietnam in 2020, lung cancer ranked second in incidence with over 26,000 new cases, accounting for 14.4% of all cancers, and nearly 24,000 deaths from this disease.

Lung cancer symptoms are often subtle in the early stages, leading patients to mistakenly believe they have a respiratory illness. Typical symptoms include: persistent dry cough, weight loss, chest pain, and coughing up blood.

With advancements in modern medicine, lung cancer is detected earlier; however, only about 30% of lung cancer patients who arrive at the hospital in the early stages are eligible for surgery.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/suc-khoe/lan-dau-tien-dung-robot-hien-dai-phau-thuat-ung-thu-phoi-20230605100345053.htm