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Breakthrough Surgical Technique Removes Lung Cancer
Daryl Pearlstein, MD, Thoracic Surgeon, Columbia St. Mary’s
Posted: Sept. 1, 2008
For lung cancer patients, minimally invasive surgery is now available in Milwaukee that enables them to recover from the procedure quicker and with less pain.
This surgical advancement is video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and is used for lung, esophageal and chest surgeries. It was initially used to remove small cancerous areas in the chest region, but it is now performed for about 15 percent of lobectomies nationwide. I currently do between 80 and 90 percent of my lobectomies thoracoscopically.
A lobectomy is the removal of a lobe of the lung in which a tumor is present and offers a much better chance for cure compared to a local resection of the tumor. The VATS lobectomy is used primarily to treat early-stage lung cancer, where the cancer has not spread in the lung, to the lymph nodes or to any other part of the body.
With VATS technology, two or three small incisions are made in the side of the chest. A tiny camera is inserted through one of the incisions to visualize the thorax without spreading the ribs. The camera transmits images of inside the chest to a video monitor. These images help guide the surgeon who manipulates instruments, through the other incisions, to remove the cancer.
With open surgery a large incision is made down the side of the rib cage, cutting through major muscles. The ribs are then spread to gain access to the lungs. With open surgery, patients can experience months of post-operative pain.
There are many benefits to the patient who undergoes VATS. First, it is just as effective as conventional, open thoracic surgery, and compared to open surgery, there are fewer complications, less blood loss, and less post-operative pain. Oftentimes, the hospital stay is much shorter – three days as opposed to a week to 10 days.
Also, VATS may offer additional positive outcomes for lung cancer patients who may need chemotherapy treatments. Because surgery-related complications, such as bleeding or infection that impair a patient’s immune system, are lessened with the VATS procedure, chemotherapy treatments can begin more quickly after surgery.
VATS is a viable option for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, which is the most common form of lung cancer. Almost anyone with early-stage lung cancer who has adequate lung function to tolerate the surgery is a candidate for the VATS procedure.
Being diagnosed with lung cancer at an early stage makes it more likely that surgery can remove the cancer. Lung cancer typically doesn’t cause symptoms in its beginning stages, but early detection through computed tomography scans, performed either as part of a screening regimen or for other unrelated symptoms, has increased positive outcomes for patients.
VATS is a true advancement in surgery to remove lung cancer as well as esophageal and chest surgeries, allowing for the best results and recoveries for our patients.
Daryl Pearlstein, MD
Thoracic Surgeon
414-456-6969
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