Recently, the team led by Chief Surgeon Song Changshan from the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Foshan Chancheng Hospital of Fosun Health (hereinafter referred to as "Foshan Chancheng Hospital"), in collaboration with multiple departments, successfully performed a Da Vinci robot‑assisted right lower lobectomy on a Vietnamese patient with a pulmonary nodule. The patient recovered smoothly and was discharged safely within the validity period of their visa to return home. Before leaving, the patient expressed sincere gratitude for the team’s professional expertise and the thoughtful, attentive care provided throughout the entire course of treatment.

Multidisciplinary Collaboraton to Tailor a Personalized Surgical Plan

It is understood that during the patient’s hospitalization at the International Medical Center of Foshan Chancheng Hospital, a chest X‑ray revealed a shadow in the right lower lung lobe. To provide comprehensive and efficient diagnostic and treatment services for this international patient, the International Medical Center quickly coordinated with the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Department of Radiology, the Department of Anesthesiology, and other specialties to form a multidisciplinary team (MDT). 

Based on the patient’s clinical characteristics, the MDT team completed a full set of preoperative assessments, including high‑resolution chest CT, PET‑CT, and pulmonary function tests, which confirmed that surgical resection of the nodule was necessary to determine its pathological nature. Given the patient’s limited visa duration, after thorough discussion with and consent from the family, the team formulated a Da Vinci robotic minimally invasive surgical plan that balanced both safety and rapid recovery.

Minimally Invasive Technology Ensures a Smooth and Controlled Procedure

Chief Surgeon Song Changshan explained that compared with conventional video‑assisted thoracoscopic surgery, the Da Vinci surgical robot offers three key technological advantages: 10‑fold three‑dimensional high‑definition stereoscopic vision, 7‑degrees‑of‑freedom articulated robotic arms, and tremor‑filtering capability. These features enable more precise anatomical dissection, vessel division, and lymph node dissection within the narrow thoracic cavity, reducing blind spots common in routine minimally invasive surgery. While completely removing the lesion, the approach also preserves as much normal lung function as possible and minimizes surgical trauma.

During the procedure, Chief Surgeon Song’s team used a well‑established minimally invasive approach, relying on the robotic system to clearly identify fine structures such as the pleura, lobar vessels, and bronchi. They carefully dissected the interlobar fissure, sequentially isolated and divided the right lower lobe pulmonary artery, vein, and bronchus, and completely resected the diseased lobe. The total operative time was well controlled, intraoperative blood loss was minimal, and no complications such as injury to surrounding tissues or air leaks occurred. The surgery did not require rib spreading, which significantly reduced chest wall trauma and postoperative pain. During the anesthetic recovery phase, Associate Chief Anesthesiologist Dong Yongliang used a real‑time translation device to communicate with the patient, patiently reassuring and alleviating the patient’s anxiety.

Rapid Recovery and International Patient Services Earn High Recognition

Postoperatively, under the team’s targeted rapid‑recovery guidance and personalized anti‑infection and analgesic therapy, the patient’s recovery progressed faster than that of most patients undergoing traditional surgery. On the second postoperative day, the patient was able to get out of bed and engage in light activities, with good pulmonary ventilation and no common postoperative complications such as pleural effusion or infection. The right chest drainage tube was successfully removed on the fourth postoperative day, and the patient was discharged on schedule within the visa period. The patient and family members noted that they had initially harbored many concerns about seeking medical care abroad, but the professional medical expertise and thoughtful translation and care services at Foshan Chancheng Hospital made them feel at ease and warmly supported throughout the entire journey. They gave high praise to the overall medical service provided.