Two surgeons at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School are the first in the state to use robotics in breast reconstruction after cancer treatment. Surgery with the robot is less invasive than traditional surgery, so patients typically heal faster and have smaller scars. Edward Lee, a plastic surgeon, and Danbee Kim, a robotic surgeon, are the first to perform the procedure in New Jersey, and they believe it will significantly improve patient outcomes. More importantly, they think it demonstrates that robotic machines may soon improve many other reconstructive surgeries.
“This is just the beginning,” said Lee, a division chief who also directs the school’s plastic surgery residency training program. “We’re exploring ways to use the robot for thigh muscle harvests, abdominal flaps and more. The potential to improve outcomes across reconstructive procedures is enormous.” The pair began with the breast surgery, known as a latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction, several months ago. The procedure removes muscles from the patient’s upper back to help replace tissue lost to mastectomy, a breast-removing cancer treatment. To read the full story.