University Medical Center is now a national training site for minimally invasive lung surgery, joining only a handful of academic medical centers in the nation that train surgeons to perform the innovative procedure.
Not only has minimally invasive lung surgery been proven to be as effective as traditional surgery in removing cancer for early-stage lung cancer patients, it also is much easier on the patient & speeds up recovery. However, few surgeons in the nation are trained to offer this operation. Estimates indicate only a small fraction of all lung cancer operations nationwide are done with minimally invasive techniques, but more than half of patients in need of the surgery would qualify for the less invasive procedure, says Shari Meyerson, MD, assistant professor in The University of Arizona Department of Surgery. “Few surgeons offer the procedure because it’s difficult & requires additional training with a steep learning curve.”
Dr. Meyerson is the only surgeon in Tucson performing this type of minimally invasive lung surgery. Because of her expertise – & with support from the medical company Covidien – UMC has become a national training site for the procedure. The first training course is Tuesday, March 18th, when 12 visiting specialists in cardiovascular & thoracic surgery will learn how to perform minimally invasive lung surgery, known as a thoracoscopic lobectomy. The procedure is done through 2 small incisions, 1 less than 1 centimeter & the other 2 to 4 centimeters, & requires no rib spreading, thus reducing both the amount of postoperative pain & the length of hospital stay required. Traditional lung cancer surgery involves thoracotomy, in which the surgeon cuts through the muscles into the chest & spreads open the ribs to access the lungs. The large incision usually results in a slow & painful recovery.
Dr. Meyerson, a thoracic surgeon who cares for patients with diseases involving the lungs, airways, esophagus & other structures in the chest, uses minimally invasive procedures to ease the discomfort & improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, as well as those with advanced lung cancer that cannot be cured by surgery.
Every 3 to 4 months, surgeons will come to UMC to participate in the intensive 1-day course, where they will observe a live surgery & practice a simulated operation in a training lab. “The addition of this minimally invasive treatment for lung cancer has been a tremendous step forward in the treatment of the disease,” Dr. Meyerson says. “We’re very excited about our ability to deliver the most advanced surgical treatment for lung cancer available anywhere in the world & to be part of the select team to teach the technology of tomorrow.”