A surgical team has become the first in the UK to perform a cutting-edge anaesthetic technique in major thoracic (lung) surgery. Anaesthetic and surgical staff at Papworth Hospital undertook a minimally invasive VATS (video assisted thoracic surgery) procedure using just local anaesthetic and sedation – allowing the patient to recover quicker with minimal post-operative risks.
During a case viewed by doctors across the world at the Cambridge International VATS Symposium, Papworth Hospital consultant anaesthetist, Jo Irons, carried out the UK’s first ever non-intubated VATS lung resection. Traditionally patients are given general anaesthetic for such a minimally invasive procedure and are intubated using a breathing tube to ventilate both of the lungs.
Dr Irons explained that by using just local anaesthetic and sedation gave the patient numerous benefits including reducing the risks involved with anaesthetising patients for major surgery. She said: “By just using a local anaesthetic the patient will have a quicker recovery and less strain is placed on the heart and lungs. Additionally it gives the surgeon better access as the lung collapses spontaneously when the chest is entered. I would like to thank my anaesthetic team as well as the surgical team for making this procedure such a great success. The patient is doing well now and was released after only two days.”
The uniportal VATS procedure itself, although it is by no means new, is innovative as it involves making just one incision in the chest to carry out surgery on the lungs rather than three which many surgeons use.
