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St. John's Hospital Performs First Robotic Surgery to Treat Lung Cancer

Robotic surgery entered a new era as cardiothoracic surgeons Matthew Cooper, MD, and David Joyce, MD, performed the first robot-assisted thoracic surgery at St. John's Hospital in Maplewood. The use of the da Vinci Surgical System to treat lung cancer, as well as non-malignant thoracic disease, increases the options St. John's Hospital can offer patients.

"This is -- or soon will become -- the standard of care," Dr. Cooper said. "This is exciting work and we're thrilled to have the ability to offer a treatment that really is a game changer for patients."

Tiny incisions in the chest provide the surgeons three-dimensional imaging that is "the equivalent, if not better than a full open chest," Dr. Joyce noted. Robotic surgery patients experience less pain, have shorter hospital stays, and more quickly resume their normal activities, including returning to work. "It also creates a different opportunity for those patients who may be considered high risk for traditional approaches," Dr. Joyce said.

The cardiothoracic surgeons, Drs. Cooper and Joyce join the clinic's pulmonologists, medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons and advance practice nurses who work with primary care physicians. The clinic's tumor board determines the best course of treatment for patients with lung abnormalities. In 2011, they added an endobronchial ultrasound, which aids in staging and diagnosis in deeper tissues.

"This is yet another example of St. John's commitment to providing a comprehensive array of treatment options spanning a wide assortment of conditions. Our pulmonary nodule clinic is one of the newer offerings at St. John's Hospital. From the start, its members have demonstrated a keen ability to collaborate on behalf of patients in order to determine the most appropriate treatment and therapy for each individual," said John Kvasnicka, MD, Medical Director at St. John's Hospital.

St. John's Hospital is nationally recognized for its robotic surgery program. In 2011, St. John's robotic surgery program was recognized as a "best in class" for the breadth and volume of its experience with the da Vinci system.

St. John's Hospital is one of three full-service, acute care hospitals in the HealthEast Care System. As the community's primary health care resource, St. John's delivers a wide range of services to meet their patients' needs at every stage of life.