Doctors perform first robotic nephrectomy at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
March 15, 2010 – 7:04 amSUGAR LAND - Doctors at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital are now performing minimally invasive kidney surgery that may spare cancer patients an increased risk of life-long dialysis.
Using the recently acquired da Vinci® S Surgical System, Dr. Henry Pham and Dr. John Boon, urologists on staff at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, can remove the tumor affecting the kidney and leave the healthy tissue. Patients can then often avoid the increased risk of organ failure that results from having a single healthy kidney.
Dr. Pham and Dr. Boon performed the first robotic nephrectomy in 
Fort Bend County on patient Michael Gann, leaving him with a barely visible scar and a quicker recovery time.
In the largest study to date, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis concluded that da Vinci nephrectomy is a safe and effective approach to kidney cancer treatment.
“This robotic-assisted, minimally invasive approach may not only provide patients with excellent short-term cancer control, but for select patients, it may help them keep their kidney and avoid increased risk for life-long dialysis,” said Dr. Pham.
Study co-authors reviewed data from 183 patients who underwent da Vinci nephrectomy at four centers between 2006 and 2008. Of the tumors removed, 69% were malignant and 2.7% of these showed positive surgical margins - meaning there was cancer at the edge of the specimen - a sign that the cancer may not have been taken out completely.
“A da Vinci nephrectomy is comparable to both the open and laparoscopic approaches in terms of cancer control, but with minimal recovery time,” said Dr. Pham.
“I expected to be in the hospital two to three days and out of work for several weeks,” said patient Michael Gann. “To my surprise, I was home the very same day with my family, and I was very pleased with how fast the recovery time was. I was back to work in five days and had a much smaller scar than the normal kidney removal scar. All of this would not have been possible without the state-of-the-art technology that Methodist Sugar Land Hospital provides for our community.”
Da Vinci’s advanced level of technology takes surgery beyond the limits of the human hand. “This acquisition compliments our goal of extending minimally invasive surgery to the broadest possible base of patients,” said Becky Chalupa, associate chief nursing officer. “It can be used for a multitude of procedures, including, but not limited to: prostatectomy, hysterectomy, myomectomy, coronary artery bypass, mitral valve repair and colorectal surgery.”
Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is initially planning to use robotic surgery for gynecological, colorectal and urological surgeries. The robot has created much excitement for many physicians who are looking forward to being part of the robotics team. “The robotics program is a continuation of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s commitment to bringing the medical center home to Fort Bend County, as well as finding and applying the most precise, most beneficial surgical techniques to put patients on a quicker road to recovery with better outcomes,” said Dr. Pham.
To make an appointment with Dr. Pham, Dr. Boon or other specialists using robotics technology, call Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s physician referral line 281-274-7500.
Visit Methodist Sugar Land Hospital online
Would you like to link to this article?
Copy the code below and paste it into your web page.
