An elderly male patient, Mr. Feng, recently recovered and was discharged from Foshan Chancheng Hospital after presenting with a massive thymoma complicated by life-threatening severe anemia and diabetes insipidus. His family presented a banner of gratitude to the thoracic surgery team led by Dr. Song Changshan, acknowledging the team's exceptional minimally invasive surgical skill and profound sense of responsibility—efforts that illuminated hope for Mr. Feng in his darkest hour.

A Desperate Plea: Turned Away by Multiple Hospitals

Two months prior, Mr. Feng developed fatigue and fever. He was evaluated at several tertiary hospitals and diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia, life-threatening severe anemia, thymoma, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. However, due to the complexity of his condition and extreme difficulty securing compatible blood transfusions, two hospitals advised the family to pursue comfort measures only.

In desperation, the family sought out Dr. Song Changshan, Director of Thoracic Surgery at Foshan Chancheng Hospital. Upon admission, Mr. Feng's hemoglobin level was critically low at 19 g/L—far below the normal range—placing him in immediate danger.

Precision at the Breaking Point: Multidisciplinary Coordination Creates a Window of Hope

Given the severity of Mr. Feng's anemia, he experienced multiple episodes of organ dysfunction. Acting urgently, Dr. Song mobilized the patient’s family, friends, and local community to participate in blood donation. With strong support from Dr. Liu Yiqun, Director of the Blood Transfusion Department at Foshan Chancheng Hospital, Mr. Feng received over 20 transfusions of specially processed washed red blood cells, combined with immunosuppressive therapy. His anemia gradually improved.

To ensure surgical safety, Dr. Song convened multiple multidisciplinary consultations involving the Blood Transfusion Department, Anesthesiology Department, and other relevant specialties. Given the patient's severe anemia and concurrent SIADH, conventional open surgery—with its significant trauma and prolonged recovery—was deemed high-risk. After thorough discussion with the family, Dr. Song formulated a precise, minimally invasive surgical strategy.

Minimally Invasive Breakthrough: The Precision of the Da Vinci Surgical System

Foshan Chancheng Hospital is equipped with the Da Vinci Surgical System, which offers high-definition 3D visualization, wristed instrumentation, and tremor filtration—enabling exceptionally fine and precise dissection. Dr. Song is a highly experienced robotic surgeon, having successfully performed hundreds of Da Vinci–assisted procedures, many of them on high-risk and elderly patients.

Using the Da Vinci system, Dr. Song and his team performed a radical resection of the large thymoma. Through just one 3 cm incision and two 1 cm incisions, the team achieved complete thymoma excision and extended thymectomy, with minimal trauma and blood loss.

Recovery and Discharge: The Healing Power of Compassion

Postoperatively, Mr. Feng recovered rapidly. His hemoglobin level rose significantly, and both his physical function and overall well-being markedly improved. The thoracic surgery nursing team, under Dr. Song's guidance, delivered a personalized postoperative rehabilitation plan. Within one week, Mr. Feng was discharged.

Two weeks after discharge, follow-up evaluation showed that Mr. Feng’s hemoglobin had returned to normal levels, his diabetes insipidus had completely resolved, and his immunosuppressive medications had been largely discontinued—a true "cure of both symptoms and root cause."

Commitment to Innovation and Patient-Centered Care

Mr. Feng's successful outcome highlights the exceptional capability of Foshan Chancheng Hospital’s Thoracic Surgery Department in managing complex, critical cases. It also demonstrates the precision advantages of robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery and reflects the department’s unwavering commitment to patient-centered care and clinical excellence.

Moving forward, the Thoracic Surgery team at Foshan Chancheng Hospital will continue to advance surgical innovation, strengthen perioperative comprehensive care capacity, and deliver ever-higher standards of technical precision and compassionate service—safeguarding the health and lives of every patient entrusted to their care.