Lung cancer surgery has been almost reinvented in the last 10 years. Exciting new technology, instrumentation, and surgical techniques are bringing lung cancer patients better results and shorter recovery time.
New Lung Cancer Surgery: Revelations
New Surgical Techniques and Technology Are Helping Us Improve in Our Fight Against Lung Cancer
Dr. Moishe Liberman is a thoracic surgeon and researcher at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM). He and his team put some of the newest techniques and instruments together for a large research recent study. If doctors have diagnosed you or someone you love with lung cancer, the revelations will impress and amaze you.
The Status Quo: A Risky But Common Status Quo for Lung Cancer: The Thoracotomy
Over the course of fighting their disease, some lung patients will need to resort to surgery involving the removal of one of the lobes of a lung. This typical lung cancer surgery, termed a thoracotomy, will mandate months of recovery.
Less Invasive Lung Cancer Surgery
Dr. Moishe Liberman and his team sought to find a surgical technique that was less invasive as well as safer than the status quo. Recently, in a large international clinical study presented at the 99th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Liberman revealed the newest procedure to accomplish the same results as the thoracotomy with fewer complications.
The Lung Cancer Surgery Technique: Thoracoscopic Lobectomy
His procedure combined several new technologies:
- VATS: This acronym refers to “video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)” (Later, More about what this means will be explained, below.)
- Dr. Liberman combined this technology with delicate “pulmonary artery sealing using an ultrasonic energy device…” This special sealing reduced the big risk of post-operative bleeding. Likewise, the sealing helped prevent complications and pain.
The Comparison: Thoracotomy Vs Thoracoscopic Lobectomy
On the One Hand, Here is a Thoracotomy:
To put it simply, on the one hand, the Thoracotomy means the surgeon makes a 25 cm incision in the patient’s chest. Then, the surgeon cuts through the ribs. (In the old television show, M.A.S.H, the chest surgeons called this “cracking the chest.” It’s pretty much as tough as it sounds.) To put it mildly, this is certainly an invasive technique.
On the Other Hand, Here
Once Surgery is Chosen, We Must Explore Options in Procedures.
is a VATS Thoracoscopic Procedure:
A VATS procedure requires only small incisions. Then, through one such incision, the surgeon then inserts a miniature video camera. Thus, there’s no 25cm incision or rib spreading involved.
A Big Risk in Either Lung Cancer Surgery: Bleeding
In either of the above surgeries, there is still a risk of bleeding. However, It is a matter of anatomy: You see, “the branches of the pulmonary artery are very thin. They are fragile and are attached directly to the heart.”
Dr. Liberman’s Big Ideas for Lung Cancer Surgery
- This is the point at which a blend of technologies made all the difference.
- And thus, it was Dr. Liberman’s belief he could safely seal pulmonary blood vessels through ultrasonic sealing.
- He hypothesized several years ago that this technology would control bleeding and reduce the risk to the patient.
- After years of clinical trials, he and his team proved his hypothesis. Indeed, they proved that this technology could control the bleeding.
Official Announcement of the Clinical Trial Results
At the meeting mentioned above Dr. Liberman announced, “Thanks to this clinical trial conducted in Canadian, American and British hospitals, we have shown that it is possible to safely seal pulmonary blood vessels through ultrasonic sealing…And he added that this process could “effectively control possible bleeding during a VATS procedure…”
Getting to the Crux of the Matter: Perception of VATS Risk
At the present time, surgeons only do about 15% of the lobectomies around the world with VATS. And, they are very concerned with the risks of major bleeding. Dr. Liberman wants to reduce or dispel the perception of these risks with this equipment.
He stated, “I truly hope that the results of our clinical trial will reassure surgeons about the technical feasibility and safety of this operation….” He continued saying, “A large number of patients could benefit from it and would be on their feet faster, with less pain…”
A Chronicle of the New Lung Cancer Surgery Procedure
Dr. Liberman and his team did not rush their conclusions about these surgical procedures.
- First, the concepts took 5 years of preclinical research at the CRCHUM.
- Then there were phase 1 and 2 trials on animals.
- The large international phase 2 clinical trial began in 2016.
Presenting Dr. Liberman’s Living Proof
Because of Lung Cancer Research, Patients Have Greater Hope For Recovery
Dr. Liberman’s team has recently evaluated the effectiveness of this new technique on 150 patients in eight hospitals across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Of those 150 patients, surgeons removed lobes of the lungs of 139. Surgeons removed segments instead of lobes of the remaining 11 patients.
Sealing the Pulmonary Artery Branches
In the course of the study, Surgeons sealed 424 pulmonary artery branches.
- For 181 patients they used surgical staplers.
- For 4 patients, surgeons used endoscopic clips and
- Then, they sealed 239 arteries with the HARMONIC ACE® +7 Shears. This is an amazing high tech instrument with a 3-millimeter jaw at the tip and a pistol grip. This futuristic “pistol” “allows a surgeon to seal blood vessels by delivering ultrasonic energy.”
By the way, the World Health Organization reports that “lung cancer kills nearly 1.69 million people around the world every year.”
At FLASS, doctors and staff hope we can improve that number by studying research like that of Dr. Liberman. For some deep reading on this topic, you can check out this detailed online resource.
The Physicians and staff at FLASS send a Special Wish and Blessings to all the Mothers of America: