Robotic-Assisted Surgery for the Chest and Lung

If your doctor recommends surgery for a condition affecting your chest, lungs or esophagus, you may be a candidate for robotic-assisted surgery. This form of surgery is performed through a few small incisions between your ribs, rather than making a long incision through the chest wall.

For patients with non-small cell lung cancer, for example, robotic-assisted surgery can be performed to remove parts of the lung. This procedure is called a lobectomy.

A thin tube with a camera provides a high-resolution, 3D image inside the chest cavity. The surgeon uses handheld controls to manipulate robotic arms that hold special surgical instruments. Unlike a human hand, the robotic “wrists” can rotate 360 degrees and move in very tiny increments. This allows the surgeon:

Robotic-assisted surgery of the chest cavity offers patients potential benefits over traditional approaches, including:

At Mercy we have the skilled surgeons and the advanced technology to handle the most complex surgeries. Our goal is to get and keep you healthy so you can get back to doing all the things you love.