A uniportal right upper lobectomy by three-arm robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery using the da Vinci (Xi) surgical system in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer

Abstract

Minimally invasive techniques, typified by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, are widely practiced in the treatment of thoracic diseases all around the world, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has been recognized as a standard treatment method for early staged lung cancer. Among them, robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, which has the advantages of providing a three-dimensional view and better maneuverability, has emerged as a next-generation technique in the field of minimally invasive surgery and is also gaining its popularity with the idea of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery deeply rooted in patients' minds. Up to now, robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery usually requires 3 or 4 ports with 1 or 2 additional access incisions. Meanwhile, traditional video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery can now be completed with uniportal method, with less postoperative pain and higher patient satisfaction with respect to the number of incisions in comparison with the multi-port technique. To inform the integration of these new minimally invasive techniques, here, we present a case in which uniportal right upper lobectomy was performed using the 4th generation da Vinci Robotic Surgical System (Xi). With continuous innovation in robotic minimally invasive techniques and improvements in surgical skills, we believe more patients will benefit from robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with single port in the near future.