Cureus Editorial Board Member Diego Gonzalez Rivas spoke recently at the TEDxGalicia conference about the pioneering steps thoracic surgery has taken to approach lung cancer through minimally invasive (i.e., a single small incision) video-assisted surgery.
Dr. Diego Gonzalez Rivas received degrees in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Santiago de Compostela from 1992-1998. He completed his Residency at the Hospital Juan Canalejo, Department of Thoracic Surgery (La Coruña 1999 – 2004).
Along with his colleagues Ricardo Fernandez y Mercedes de la Torre, he promoted the creation of the Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Unit (UCTMI) in 2010. He currently works as an adjunct physician at Coruña Hospital and the minimally invasive thoracic surgery unit (UCTMI) located in Modelo Hospital, San Rafael and USP Santa Teresa.
Cardiothoracic video surgery was created at some of the best hospitals in the world including Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA and Duke University in North Carolina. Dr. Gonzalez Rivas and teams of surgeons worldwide have evolved thoracic video surgery to include the treatment of lung cancer with thoracoscopy and using only a small incision so that the patient can be discharged within 24 to 48 hours after surgery.
This important technique is now well-recognized by the international scientific community and has been published in prestigious scientific journals as well as International Atlas. It has also been featured in multiple international conferences including the USA, Russia, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia and others.
Video surgery is the least invasive way to operate on lung cancer, which is critical in decreasing the overall patient impairment and post-operative complications (e.g. due to extended immunocompromised time periods). The future of thoracic surgery will undoubtedly include the use of video-assisted surgery via single incision combined with robotic technology and wireless cameras.
More information: www.videothoracoscopy.com.
Watch Dr. Gonzalez Rivas’ TEDxGalicia talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaGHnIeuZIk
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