Better Surgical Outcomes
Traditional surgery for lung cancer requires a very long incision and a long recovery, but video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) offers a minimally invasive alternative with many benefits for the patient. Nationally, only 20-30% of lung surgeries are done with the VATS approach, but Roswell Park has an 80-90% rate—and is a world leader in the number performed for removal of an entire lung.
Thoracoscopic Lobectomy/VATS
Compared to traditional open surgery, thoracoscopic lobectomy yields fewer complications by reducing pain and allows patients to be more independent after discharge. Accordingly, those patients who need additional treatments like chemotherapy can tolerate them better.