I am beginning to feel like a bit of a sports reporter when it comes to Dr. Gonzalez Rivas and innovations in thoracic surgery..
The Babe Ruth of modern thoracic surgery
It’s another home run for Dr. Gonzalez Rivas as he and his team perform a single port (uni-port) thoracoscopic lobectomy with under local anesthesia, as reported by a recent story, “Operan un tumor e pulmón con una sola incisión y anestesia local” by Raul Romar in La Voz de Galicia.
The answer is International collaboration and sharing of ideas
Dr. Gonzalez Rivas is used to sharing his ideas. After all, he spends a considerable amount of time traveling the world doing just that; sharing information about and teaching surgeons how to perform the single port thoracoscopic technique. But that doesn’t mean that he does find time to learn from his peers during his travels.
The article above highlights the importance of this international collaboration as it details how Dr. Gonzalez Rivas began to consider applying a local anesthesia approach to the single port surgical technique after talking (and visiting) surgeons in Taiwan and China.
Once he found the perfect candidate, he was ready to implement local anesthesia into his single port approach.. The rest, as they say – is now headed for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Click here for English translation (note translation is not exact).
Related: Dr. Diego Gonzalez Rivas: Changing the future of thoracic surgery*.
In other news:
Welcome to Tennessee!
Dr. Benny Weksler, our own American (via Brazil) superstar surgeon recently made the move to the University of Tennessee. Dr. Weksler made the move in November of 2013 and is now settling in to his new position as Chief of Thoracic Surgery for the University of Tennessee (UT) Health Science Center and UT – Methodist.
Dr. Weksler, one of the United States most prominent thoracic surgeons, particularly in the area of esophageal surgery reports that he has big plans for the UT health system and the thoracic surgery department.
Big Plans for UT and the city of Memphis
These plans include a lung cancer screening program targeting vulnerable populations in Memphis including the uninsured/ underinsured, African-Americans (who are disproportionately affected) and smokers.
Related: Dr. Weksler talks about smoking cessation
Minimally invasive techniques for esophageal surgery
He has also started a new minimally invasive esophageal surgery program for esophageal cancer and reports “that there is almost an epidemics of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus” which is something tha was more rare in his previous practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Weksler and his colleagues are putting together a multi-disciplinary treatment plan to try to get these patients to a complete evaluation with a surgeon, an oncologist, and a radiation oncologist to provide patients with comprehensive, multi-faceted and coördinated care.
“The Surgeon Speaks” – Dr. Weksler talks about robotic surgery in this 2009 Jefferson University publication.
As a former Memphis resident, I want to say, “Welcome to the mid-south.. Hope you find time in your busy schedule to enjoy Beale Street, visit the Pink Palace and tour Graceland.. On behalf of all current Memphians, we are glad you are here.”
*This article was written by the author of this post.
Thoracic Surgery 