Robotically Assisted Thoracic Surgery (RATS) for Lung Cancer

Overview
Robotically assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) is a procedure approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for certain people with lung cancer. It is used to facilitate several other different procedures and surgeries. It is typically used to biopsy a lung or another area in the chest cavity or to remove a small tumor or a lobe of a lung. Lobectomy, segmentectomy, pneumonectomy, and wedge resection are examples of surgeries that can be performed via RATS.

What does it involve?
RATS is performed while a person is under general anesthesia. During robotically assisted thoracic surgery, the surgery team will make small incisions near the lungs and insert robotic surgical instruments. The surgery team will also insert a tiny camera that projects images from the inside of the recipient’s body onto a monitor viewed by the surgeon. The surgeon operates the robotic instruments from a control panel to perform the necessary procedure. The instruments will then be withdrawn and the incisions sutured shut.

Robotically assisted thoracic surgery is an inpatient procedure. People who undergo this procedure will typically spend two days in the hospital afterward for monitoring. It can take up to two weeks to recover fully from the procedure.

Side effects
Risks from RATS include pneumonia, nerve damage, reactions to anesthesia, damage to nearby organs, bleeding, and, rarely, death.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Robotic Thoracic Surgery — American Lung Association
https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-...

Robotic Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (RVATS) Lobectomy — Main Line Health
https://www.mainlinehealth.org/conditions-and-t...