On Monday, July 29, the cardiothoracic surgery team at AdventHealth Redmond, led by renowned surgeon, Ademola Adeseye, MD, MPH, celebrated 100 robotic lung surgeries since the program’s inception in 2021.
The thoracic robotic surgery program at AdventHealth Redmond is the only one of its kind in Northwest Georgia. As a result, residents are not required to travel to large metropolitan areas to have access to world-class chest and lung care, and they can access treatment around the clock in the community they know and trust.
In addition to the team’s efficiency, Dr. Adeseye credited the innovative da Vinci Xi system, a robotic surgical system specializing in minimally invasive surgeries, as the driving force of the procedures. The system allows for a series of small incision entry points and more control over the instruments, resulting in less tissue damage, blood loss and quicker recovery periods.
“We have forever transformed the landscape of managing benign and malignant conditions of the chest in Northwest Georgia by this singular contribution,” Dr. Adeseye said. “The exponential growth (in surgeries) we have experienced can be credited to excellent survival in our patient population, impressive oncologic results particularly with respect to a more extensive lymph node dissection performed at the time of surgery, resulting in less pain, earlier return to work and improved cosmetic results.”
A primary goal for AdventHealth Redmond’s cardiothoracic team is to provide the safest surgical experience for their patients, all while getting them in and out of the hospital quickly, and the da Vinci Xi system and expert care team helps to make it possible.
One team member who’s helped to build and expand AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiothoracic Surgery at Redmond Road is Tonia Askew, the clinic’s practice manager. One of Askew’s wishes is for people in the Floyd County community to know that this service is available to them, and her team is here to support. “We are here to provide care not only to our local community but also to our surrounding communities,” Askew said. The extension of care begins day one of visiting the clinic with what Askew likes to call the ‘VIP treatment.’ “It doesn’t matter what your race, gender or socioeconomical status is; you are going to get the same treatment we offer to all patients, as quickly as possible.”
The clinic’s cardiothoracic surgery program offers leading-edge surgical techniques for patients needing heart or lung surgery. Skilled surgeons Dhru Girard, MD and Cyrus Parsa, MD, perform life-saving heart and lung procedures for complex conditions. Nurse navigators and other care specialists walk patients through every step of the process, providing comfort and education.
Another factor that contributes to the clinic’s remarkable success is the easy provider-to-provider referral channels that have been established, along with the team’s ability to get patients into the clinic for a consultation within one week of a referral. Following the consultation, qualified candidates will be determined to receive surgical intervention. AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiothoracic Surgery at Redmond Road offers robotic surgeries for an extensive range of pathologies in the chest including but not limited to:
- Resection of lung cancers
- Biopsy of the lung for diagnostic purposes
- Lung volume reduction surgery
- Resection of cysts
- Management of entrapped lungs and collapsed lungs
- Tumors in the mediastinum (central area of the chest)
For Ronald Morrissey, a previous patient of Dr. Adeseye and the cardiothoracic surgery team, the process beginning to end was seamless. Morrisey received an upper left lobotomy procedure to remove some cancerous tissue. Since it was his first major surgery, Morrisey was anxious of the process and the potential outcomes.
To Morrisey’s relief, those doubts went away quickly. “Dr. Adeseye and his staff were amazing; they were transparent and did not offer generic hospitality and advice that you may find at other hospitals,” Morrisey said. “The entire cardiothoracic surgery team’s positivity gave me the confidence I needed to get necessary surgery, and I will always be grateful for them helping save my life.”
The “back to normal feeling” is what Morrisey and many other patients have been able to experience again, and AdventHealth Redmond’s cardiothoracic surgery team will continue to make this more of a reality for residents of Northwest Georgia as their robotic lung surgery program continues to develop.
“As the program grows, our goal is to expand our capacity to offer robotic heart surgery and bring the most innovative surgery options to AdventHealth Redmond so we can change more lives,” Dr. Adeseye said.
To learn more about cardiothoracic surgery at AdventHealth Redmond, visit: https://www.adventhealthredmond.com
