【侯鎮邦醫師】A New Milestone in Minimally Invasive Surgery: Da Vinci Robotic "Natural Orifice Assisted Nephrectomy"
Ms Chen, a 72 year old female from Taichung, presented to a medical clinic with the concern of recurrent bloody urine, lower back pain, and abdominal fullness. She was then referred to a medical center for further evaluation. After extensive workup and imaging studies, a 12 cm tumor was found in her right kidney. The tumor was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer that can be cured with complete surgical excision if found early. Ms Chen was referred to Dr Chen-Pang Hou at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, a urologist specializing in Da Vinci robotic assisted surgery. After consultation and discussion, together, they decided on an operating method called "Da Vinci robotic natural orifice assisted nephrectomy". This method excises the kidney and tumor together using a robot via four small wounds in the abdomen, and removed through the vagina.
