Saint Francis Hosts Unique, Interactive Robotic Surgery Demonstration

(L to R) Amrita Karambelkar, M.D., Assistant Director of Interventional Pulmonology, Saint Francis; Laki Rousou, M.D., Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Chief of Robotic Surgery, and Medical Director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program, Mercy; Stefan Kachala, M.D., Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Chair of the Saint Francis Robotics Steering Committee, and Medical Director of the Saint Francis Lung Screening Program; Anil Magge, M.D., Director of Interventional Pulmonology, Saint Francis, all demonstrated Intuitive's robotic surgical systems on the TOME truck. 

Physicians from Saint Francis demonstrated these robotic systems, including the Ion endoluminal system, Da Vinci robotic system, and Cios Spin, which are being utilized as part of the hospital’s cutting-edge Thoracic Oncology program. The program, led by Anil Magge, M.D., Director of Interventional Pulmonology; Stefan Kachala, M.D., Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Chair of the Saint Francis Robotics Steering Committee, and Medical Director of the Saint Francis Lung Screening Program; and Amrita Karambelkar, M.D., Assistant Director of Interventional Pulmonology, along with a team of medical and radiation oncologists and respiratory therapists, is focused on expediting lung cancer care from detection to diagnosis to treatment. 

Laki Rousou, M.D., Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Chief of Robotic Surgery, and Medical Director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program at Mercy Medical Center, who has completed over 1,000 surgeries with the Da Vinci robotic system – the most in all of Trinity Health – also joined the team in Hartford for the demonstrations. 

“We are so proud to be chosen by Intuitive to host TOME for the first time in New England,” said Dr. Magge, who is one of the top single users of the Ion endoluminal system across the country. “We are committed to providing the highest level of care to patients in Connecticut, and our Thoracic Oncology program has made a huge difference in outcomes. By using the technologies showcased by Intuitive’s TOME, we are providing life-changing care to our patients.”

Saint Francis was the first hospital in Connecticut to utilize the Ion system and quickly became one of the national leaders in Ion procedures. The team has completed 750 procedures since 2022. Ion is one part of the hospital’s Thoracic Oncology program, which allows lung cancer patients to have early detection, biopsy, and surgery to remove the cancerous growth all within a significantly shortened timeframe of just a few weeks. Typically, the journey from when a potentially cancerous lung nodule is detected through surgical removal can last 2-2.5 months, while the Saint Francis program has shortened that to approximately 17 days. The team is committed to taking an innovative approach to patient care, ensuring they are eliminating delays and improving the coordination of care with each specialist. This multidisciplinary coordination expedites the patient’s journey to wellness by providing a high level of care seen at major hospitals in Boston and New York City in a setting close to home.