PUMCH performs routine robotic chest surgeries to treat major illnesses locally

The Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) announced today that its Department of Thoracic Surgery has successfully integrated Da Vinci robotic surgery into routine practice, having performed minimally invasive procedures on over a dozen local patients in recent months.

The initiative, carried out through a referral mechanism with Conde de São Januário Hospital, marks a significant step toward enabling residents to receive treatment for complex illnesses without traveling abroad.

Among the cases were two particularly challenging surgeries. The first involved an elderly patient with an eight-centimeter lung tumor that did not respond to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy. A multidisciplinary team, including experts from thoracic surgery, oncology, radiology, anesthesiology, intensive care, nutrition, and rehabilitation, planned the procedure.

Led by Dr. Cao Qingdong, chief of thoracic surgery at the center, the team performed a robot-assisted thoracoscopic radical resection with bronchial reconstruction. Using just three small incisions, the robotic system enabled complete tumor removal and thorough lymph node dissection while avoiding open-chest surgery. The patient walked the following day and was discharged with minimal pain.

The second case involved an elderly patient requiring repeat surgery for a large esophageal diverticulum, with complex anatomy and high recurrence risk. The team devised an innovative dual-scope approach without open surgery, successfully resecting the diseased esophagus and reconstructing the digestive tract. The patient was transferred to the ICU post-surgery for one-on-one circulatory and respiratory management.

The center noted that regular collaboration with Conde de São Januário has significantly reduced waiting times for elective thoracic surgeries. Specialists from PUMCH in Beijing also participate via teleconsultation to help design individualized treatment plans. Postoperative care is provided by ICU and nursing teams.

With advanced robotic assistance and coordinated multidisciplinary care, PUMCH aims to provide world-class thoracic treatment locally, actively pursuing the goal of “treating major illnesses without leaving Macau.”