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UMC has been named as a national training center for minimally invasive lung surgery.

By University Communications
March 18, 2008

University Medical Center is now a national training site for minimally invasive lung surgery, joining only a handful of academic medical centers in the nation that train surgeons to perform the innovative procedure.

Not only has minimally invasive lung surgery been proven to be as effective as traditional surgery in removing cancer for early-stage lung cancer patients, it also is much easier on the patient and speeds recovery; however, few surgeons in the nation are trained to offer this operation.

Estimates indicate only a small fraction of all lung cancer operations nationwide are done with minimally invasive techniques, but more than half of patients in need of the surgery would qualify for the less invasive procedure, says Shari Meyerson, assistant professor in The University of Arizona department of surgery. “Few surgeons offer the procedure because it’s difficult and requires additional training with a steep learning curve,” she explained.

UMC is a private, not-for-profit hospital affiliated with the UA. Established in 1971, UMC is Arizona's only academic medical center.

Meyerson is the only surgeon in Tucson performing this type of minimally invasive lung surgery. Because of her expertise – and with support from medical company Covidien – UMC has become a national training site for the procedure.

The first training course took place on Tuesday, when 12 visiting specialists in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery learned how to perform minimally invasive lung surgery, known as a thoracoscopic lobectomy.

The procedure is done through two small incisions, one less than 1 centimeter and the other 2-4 centimeters, and requires no rib spreading, thus reducing both the amount of postoperative pain and the length of hospital stay required.

Traditional lung cancer surgery involves thoracotomy, in which the surgeon cuts through the muscles into the chest and spreads open the ribs to access the lungs. The large incision usually results in a slow and painful recovery.

Meyerson, a thoracic surgeon who cares for patients with diseases involving the lungs, airways, esophagus and other structures in the chest, uses minimally invasive procedures to ease the discomfort and improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, as well as those with advanced lung cancer that cannot be cured by surgery.

Every three to four months, surgeons will come to UMC to participate in the intensive one-day course, where they will observe a live surgery and practice a simulated operation in a training lab.

“The addition of this minimally invasive treatment for lung cancer has been a tremendous step forward in the treatment of the disease,” Meyerson says. “We’re very excited about our ability to deliver the most advanced surgical treatment for lung cancer available anywhere in the world and to be part of the select team to teach the technology of tomorrow.”