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                      Home/About Us/Newsroom/Northwest Health Now Offers Robot-Assisted Lung Surgery

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                      Northwest Health Now Offers Robot-Assisted Lung Surgery

                      8/25/2017

                      (SPRINGDALE, AR) –Aug. 25, 2017— Robotic-assisted surgical services at Northwest Health have expanded to benefit patients who need lung surgery. Lung cancer frequently has no symptoms at all in the early stage. But with screenings and minimally invasive procedures, patients may have a better chance of survival and becoming cancer-free.

                      James Counce, M.D., a thoracic and cardiac surgeon, recently performed the first robotic lung surgery at Northwest Medical Center - Springdale. Robotic surgery combines the advantages of small incisions with robotic precision, enhanced vision and improved dexterity. Thanks to this technology and surgical innovations, patients at Northwest Health now have the option to undergo removal of thoracic tumors through minimally invasive robotic surgery.

                      “Instead of traditional open surgery where an incision is made large enough to allow our hands to be inside the patient’s chest, we can now do it with four or five small incisions, each less than an inch wide,” Dr. Counce said.

                      Other benefits of robotic-assisted surgery include quicker recovery, less bleeding and less pain. A shorter recovery time also means fewer complications with the wounds from the surgery.

                      James Erskin was one of the first patients to undergo robotic lung surgery at Northwest Medical Center – Springdale. Dr. Counce recommended a biopsy for a spot on Erskin’s lung that had grown and divided.

                      During surgery, Dr. Counce controls the robotic arms of the system from a console, while a camera provides a magnified 3-dimensional view inside the body and surgical nurses provide assistance at the patient’s bedside. Dr. Counce has been performing these procedures non-robotically for years, but says this advanced technology allows him to be more precise and greatly improves the outcomes for his patients.

                      Fortunately, the spot on Erskin’s lung was benign.
                      “I am thoroughly impressed with Dr. Counce’s care and the hospital’s care while I was there,” he said. “I really had a good experience.”

                      Erskin said he was pleased with the robotic method especially given the quicker recovery time. He returned to work with minimal discomfort just three weeks after his surgery.

                      Erskin said he would recommend this robotic procedure over the traditional method to anyone who has a need for it.

                      “The robotic-assisted approach plays a huge role in the here and now and future operations for lung cancer,” Dr. Counce said.

                      For more information about robotic-assisted lung surgery, call 800-734-2024.

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