At Yashoda Hospitals, we offer a comprehensive range of thoracic services that ensure the best functional outcome for our patients. This includes all the latest advances in medical technology from cutting-edge screening and diagnostic techniques (EBUS, Navigational bronchoscopy, HRCT, and PET CT and cryobiopsy) to minimally invasive thoracic surgical procedures performed using VATS or Robotic technology.
Conventionally, open chest surgeries are performed through a single incision of 20-25 cm on the side of the chest. This allows the surgeon access to various organs and tissues to operate on them. This was associated with morbidity and a loss of shoulder function to an extent which spurred the development of minimally invasive thoracic surgery.
Yashoda Hospitals is one of the few centers in India which specializes in performing open thoracic surgery through mini-thoracic incisions of ~ 10 cm, technically called muscle-sparing lateral thoracotomy or mini-thoracotomy. Specific advantages of the procedure are a cosmetic scar, less surgical trauma, fewer infections, and preservation of shoulder function, which lead to a faster recovery.
VATS is a keyhole technique that involves making 3 (or less) small 5 – 10 mm cuts (keyhole incisions) on the side of the chest. The surgeon uses a high definition (HD) camera and specialized keyhole instruments to perform the operation minimally invasively. The affected parts of the lung are removed using a retrieval bag (Endobag) that is inserted through one of the keyholes. VATS HD camera with 2.5X magnification and the superior surgical instrumentation offer the surgeon better visualization and precision during surgery.
After the thoracic procedure, patients suffer minimal pain compared to open surgery. They have a low risk of wound infection, preserved lung and shoulder function, have minimal cosmetic scars, and leave the hospital by the 4th day after surgery.
What is Robotic Thoracic Surgery (RTS)?
Robotics has revolutionized the way thoracic surgery is performed and represents the pinnacle of surgical technology. Robotic technology offers a 3D high definition camera with astounding 10X magnification. This allows the surgeon to see details far better than with the naked eye. Robotic instruments have an ‘Endowrist’, which allows it to move with more dexterity than the human wrist.
Complex surgical procedures and tumors in difficult to approach, confined, narrow spaces are easily performed using the Robot. The surgical robot does not perform any surgical step on its own and is just a superior tool in the hands of the surgeon. The surgeon’s hand movements are replicated without tremor and precision inside the patient to perform the procedure. Robotic thoracic surgery procedures allow faster recovery with little pain as the incisions made are only 8mm in length against 20 to 25 cm in open surgery.
Complex open procedures
VATS procedures
Robotic procedures