MedStar Georgetown University Hospital reported a robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy performed through a single hidden incision that combined immediate reconstruction, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and a nerve-sparing technique designed to help preserve breast sensation.
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital has announced a robotic bilateral nipple-sparing mastectomy that combined immediate breast reconstruction, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and a nerve-sparing technique through a single hidden incision using the da Vinci SP robotic surgical system from Intuitive.
Single-Incision Approach Combines Multiple Techniques
On June 25, Lucy De La Cruz, MD, chief of the Breast Surgery program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and system chief of Breast Surgery at MedStar Health, performed the procedure for a 50-year-old woman with breast cancer. Working with plastic surgeon Kenneth Fan, MD, the surgical team created a single 4-centimeter incision within the natural fold beneath the breast rather than using an incision in the armpit or along the side of the chest.
According to MedStar Health, the procedure combined immediate breast reconstruction with a permanent implant without supporting mesh, a sentinel lymph node biopsy through the same incision, and a nerve-sparing technique designed to help preserve breast sensation.
“One incision. One surgery. My patient woke up with her cancer treated and a scar she’ll barely see. Just hours later, she was back home recovering with her family,” said Dr De La Cruz. “For too long, women have had to choose between treating their cancer and preserving sensation. While we’ve made tremendous progress in the cosmetic outcomes of mastectomy, restoring feeling has remained an unmet need. This new approach is designed to address both.”
MedStar Health said the procedure is best suited for breast cancer patients with small to moderate-sized breasts, a healthy body weight, and appropriately positioned nipples. It is not recommended for patients with larger or sagging breasts or those with inflammatory breast cancer.
According to the health system, MedStar Georgetown is one of 10 hospitals in the United States performing nipple-sparing mastectomy with the Single-Port system and the only hospital in the Washington, DC, region offering the procedure.
Additional Single-Port Robotic Surgery Milestones
The breast procedure was one of three single-port robotic surgery milestones achieved at the hospital during the same week. On June 26, Tushar Samdani, MD, performed a partial bowel resection and a colostomy for obstructive rectal cancer using the Single-Port system, using the stoma site as the robot’s only entry point to avoid additional abdominal incisions. Three days later, Marc Margolis, MD, chief of Thoracic Surgery, performed what MedStar Health said was the Mid-Atlantic region’s first Single-Port robotic thoracic lobectomy through a single incision below the rib cage.
“These robotic procedures are among the many ‘firsts in surgery’ being developed at MedStar Georgetown,” said Thomas Fishbein, MD, chair of Surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. “Our surgeons are pushing the boundaries of what is possible across many specialties while delivering an exceptional patient experience. These milestones reflect our commitment to bringing the most advanced surgical care available to the patients we serve.”
MedStar Health said it is also expanding use of the Single-Port robotic platform in urologic and head and neck procedures.
Photo caption: Dr Lucy De La Cruz with the da Vinci SP (Single-Port) robotic surgical system. Photo courtesy of MedStar Health.
