Cirugía torácica vídeo

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) or thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique used in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer. It involves inserting a thoracoscope (a small camera) and surgical instruments through small incisions in the patient’s chest wall. During the procedure, the surgeon uses images transmitted by the thoracoscope to a video monitor to guide the operation.

Patient Benefits:

1. Reduced Tissue Resection: Enables sublobar resection (segmentectomy) for small nodules, preserving lung function more effectively and accelerating patient recovery compared to traditional lobectomy.
2. Less Discomfort and Pain: As it avoids large incisions and rib spreading, postoperative pain is minimized, improving patient comfort during recovery.
3. Shorter Hospital Stay: Thoracoscopy allows for faster recovery, reducing hospitalization time and enabling patients to return to their daily activities sooner.
4. Favorable Cosmetic Outcome: The scars resulting from thoracoscopy are small and less visible, offering better aesthetic results compared to open surgery.

Types of Thoracoscopy:

• Uniportal: Performed through a single incision in the chest wall.
• Multiportal: Involves several small incisions in the chest wall for the insertion of surgical instruments.

Thoracoscopy has proven to be a safe and effective option for treating certain cases of lung cancer and other thoracic conditions. Its use has increased due to its patient-centered advantages, such as faster recovery, less pain, and favorable cosmetic results.

At Ruber Internacional Hospital, we have extensive experience with RATS, or robotic thoracic surgery, using the Da Vinci XI robot.

This advanced robotic technique significantly enhances safety and precision in lung resections. Thanks to the Da Vinci XI robot, the surgeon's field of vision is expanded, and there is a greater range of motion within the surgical area. Additionally, when performed using a single incision (uniportal), tissue damage is minimized, reducing surgical trauma and accelerating patient recovery.

Our team, led by Dr. Régulo Ávila, successfully performed one of the first uniportal thoracic surgeries with the Da Vinci XI robot in Spain. The excellent results achieved reflect our expertise and commitment to providing the best surgical solutions for our patients.

Our team has extensive experience performing uniportal non-intubated thoracoscopies for the evaluation of exudative pleural effusions. This technique, conducted under sedation and local anesthesia, has proven to be feasible and safe when adhering to strict patient selection criteria.

Pleural effusion, which is the accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity, can be studied and treated using this minimally invasive technique, providing a safe and effective option for patients. This surgical alternative reduces the risk of complications associated with intubation and mechanical ventilation, making it particularly beneficial for high-risk anesthetic patients, such as the elderly or those with preexisting lung diseases.

Innovative and Safe Medical Solutions.

At Ruber Internacional Hospital, we have refined the technique for localizing subcentimeter nodules in minimally invasive thoracic surgery.

Subcentimeter nodules are small lung lesions measuring less than 10 mm, and their intraoperative localization is one of the challenges of thoracoscopy. To facilitate the procedure, particularly for deep-seated lesions, preoperative marking using various methods is an option.

For selected patients, we mark subcentimeter nodules with a high suspicion of malignancy using technetium-99 under tomographic guidance prior to surgery. During the procedure, we use a state-of-the-art gamma probe to accurately locate the marking point, enabling us to resect the affected segment and deliver it to the pathologist for examination.

This technique has demonstrated excellent results.