Robot-assisted thoracic surgery

Until recently, access to the vital organs of the chest for very difficult surgeries was done with large incisions, such as:

• The sternotomy. An incision in the middle of the sternum with separation of the sternum.
• The thoracotomy. A large incision in the side of the chest with separation of the muscles and expansion of the ribs.

These accesses were particularly painful and aggravating for the postoperative recovery. Thus, finding minimally invasive techniques was imperative in order to:

• reduce complications
• making it possible for everyone - including the elderly - to undergo surgery

What is thoracic surgery?

Thoracic surgery is the surgical specialty that involves surgery of the heart, lungs, esophagus and the large vessels of the chest.

What is thoracic surgery?

Thoracic surgery is the specialisation in the part of thoracic surgery that concerns the surgical treatment of diseases of the lungs, oesophagus, diaphragm, chest wall and mediastinum.

Robot-assisted thoracic surgery

The latest development in minimally invasive thoracic surgery is robot-assisted thoracic surgery, where all of the above major surgeries are performed with the help of arms that are moved by the surgeon through an electronic console.

Thus, only 3 small incisions of 8 mm and one of 12 mm are made, from which the surgical preparation is extracted at the end of the operation, with incomparable benefits for the patient compared to the classic "open" method of thoracotomy.

The advantages of robot-assisted thoracic surgery

The advantages of the method are many, such as:

• Three-dimensional vision with greater surgical precision
• Special camera that reveals the exact location of the tumor or problem
• Elimination of human trembling
• Use of robotic staplers for endoscopic suturing within the body

So, clinically patients have:

• Less to no pain
• Faster mobilisation
• Shorter stay in the clinic
• Faster return to daily activities and work
• Better aesthetic results

The disadvantages of robot-assisted thoracic surgery

A disadvantage of the method is that it is more difficult for the surgeon to learn, as he/she must be familiar with the method of minimally invasive thoracic surgery with the use of special instruments and a camera.

For this reason, at present, the technique of robotic thoracic surgery is offered in Greece only to two private clinicsone in Athens and one in Thessaloniki.  

Also, the cost of the technique is higher than the classic older technique of thoracotomy, but with much better clinical results. The patient has far fewer post-operative complications and returns to daily life and work much faster, thus turning the monetary cost from an "expense" into an "investment".

It should be noted here that the total cost in Greece is 3 times lower than in central European countries.

Text:
Dr Michael Klimatsidas MD, MSc, PhD, FRCS (Gla), Thoracic Surgeon
Scientific Head of the Department of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Thoracic Surgery
Clinic "AGIOS LUKAS

‍