London, Ontario - Today, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) announced a Canadian first for a surgical treatment for throat cancer.
On December 3, 2010 Dr. Anthony Nichols and Dr. Kevin Fung, head and neck surgeons, performed the first robotically assisted and minimally invasive laryngectomy or the removal of a small portion of the voicebox.
This surgery was required to remove a cancerous lesion from the patient’s larynx. “The use of the robot essentially reduces the complexity of this surgery because it gives us a better view of the patient’s throat and larynx,” says Dr. Anthony Nichols, head and neck surgeon.
To perform the surgery, a surgeon navigates the surgical robot through the patient’s mouth and throat to reach the cancerous lesion in the larynx. The robotically assisted surgery also reduced the patient’s recovery with less pain medication. “This minimally invasive surgery spared the patient from excess scaring on the throat and neck. The surgery also eliminated the need for the patient to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment,” says Dr. Kevin Fung, head and neck surgeon.
Patient Gildard ‘Gil’ Légère, 72, from Sarnia, Ontario, recuperated from his surgery and is doing well. “I feel great,” says Légère.
This is the latest Canadian first surgery performed using LHSC’s DaVinci robot. Surgical robots have been used in London since 1999 when LHSC acquired its first surgical robot. In 2000, LHSC established CSTAR, Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics, as a research and education program in partnership with Lawson Health Research Institute and The University of Western Ontario to advance minimally invasive robotic surgeries.
“This surgery continues LHSC’s strong tradition of health care innovation and high quality patient care,” said Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO, LHSC as she congratulated the surgical team.
For media inquiries contact:
Stephan Beckhoff
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500 ext 74772
stephan.beckhoff@lhsc.on.ca
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