Technology is changing the way we do everyday things. It’s also having a big impact in health. Surgeons at Lee Memorial Health System are now able to do a minimally invasive lung procedure with cameras. There’s minimal blood, no open incision-- just a surgical team, a patient, and a TV.

Dr. Paul DiGorgi, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Lee Memorial Health System, says the minimally invasive procedure is called VATS. “It’s a minimally invasive lung surgery approach that stands for video assisted thoracoscopic surgery, meaning we use a scope or camera through a port, usually about a 5 mm port that goes in between the ribs and we do the surgery.”

The surgeon operates using a camera through the small incision while still doing the same operation a patient would have with a large open incision. “You’re making smaller incisions and you’re having less trauma to the body to get the same job done,” said Dr. DiGiorgi.

A VATS procedure is primarily used for lung operations. In fact, 95 percent of Lee Memorial Health System’s lung procedures are done using VATS. “You are at the table looking at a TV screen that shows the image inside the chest. Your hands and fingers are not inside the chest at all and you have special instruments that can reach in and do the procedure for you,” said Dr. DiGiorgi.

VATS can be used for biopsies, lung cancer surgery, or to remove excess fluid or air from around the lungs. “Like all minimally invasive surgeries the VATS approach has been proven to be just as effective as an open surgery. It’s also showed to have significant benefits for patients,” said Dr. DiGiorgi.

The procedure offers a quicker recover time, less pain, and smaller scars.


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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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