Emory Healthcare is the first health system in Georgia to offer the least invasive surgical option — using one small incision and new robotic technology — to treat certain thoracic or chest conditions. Manu Sancheti, MD, director of robotic thoracic surgery at Emory Healthcare, is the only thoracic surgeon in Georgia trained to perform these single incision robotic procedures, completing the first two such cases at Emory University Hospital Midtown.

The da Vinci Single Port (SP) surgical system by Intuitive allows surgeons like Sancheti to perform thoracic surgeries involving organs in the chest (heart, lung, esophagus, trachea and diaphragm) less invasively, which can mean faster healing and shorter recovery times for patients.

“The Division of Thoracic Surgery at Emory has been a consistent leader in robotic thoracic surgery, having performed over 2,500 combined robotic procedures and pioneered many procedures as firsts in the state,” says Sancheti, who is also an associate professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. “The use of the Intuitive SP robot continues that innovation by allowing the use of new advanced technology for our patients.”

The da Vinci SP robot provides for complex thoracic or chest procedures to be performed minimally invasive with robotic assistance as per Emory’s standard practice, but now with a single two-to-three-inch incision in the upper abdomen, as opposed to multiple incisions on the chest.

“This innovative technique leads to significantly less pain, a better cosmetic result, earlier discharge from the hospital and quicker return to normal activities and work,” says Sancheti. “I am proud to say that we are the first program in Georgia to use the technology and only the second in the Southeast.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the use of the SP robot for thoracic and chest cases.

Surgeons sit at a console to operate the SP robot, visualizing the surgical site with a 3DHD vision system. The vision system provides a highly magnified view of the surgical area to offer exceptional detail, clarity and precision. The single arm on the robot contains three surgical instruments, as well as the 3DHD endoscope for viewing the inside of the chest. The new design of the robotic single arm allows for greater range of motion than the human hand for even more precise suturing and removal of unwanted tissue.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this novel minimally invasive treatment and technology to our patients as an option for care for specific chest and thoracic cases,” says Sancheti. “We are excited to expand these offerings to additional sites across Emory Healthcare in the near future.”