A Board-certified Thoracic and vascular surgeon, Dr. Murali Macherla serves on the staff at Arizona Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons. Dr. Murali Macherla performs a variety of Thoracic and Vascular procedures, including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and Robot Assisted Thoracic Surgery.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a versatile procedure used to diagnose or treat a number of conditions rooted in the chest cavity.This can be done with Robot assistance as well. Performed with the patient under General Anesthesia, it allows the surgeon to visualize and access the lung,other Mediastinal structures and the inner lining of the chest wall. Unlike open-chest surgery, it requires only a few small incisions with less post-operative pain.
Through one of these incisions, the surgeon introduces carbon dioxide gas into the patient's chest. The surgeon will encourage collapse of the lung to be visualized and will then insert a tool known as a Thoracoscope, which features a small camera on the end of a tube.Images of the inside of the chest is seen by the Surgeon and the Assistant on a Video Monitor.More than one incision may be necessary if the surgeon needs to manipulate the area. This approach is used for multiple Thoracic procedures ranging from simple Biopsy to complex Lung resection, Because of its minimally invasive approach, VATS has also become popular in the treatment of Thoracic Malignancies.
A surgeon may also recommend VATS to remove fluid from around the lung, repair a hiatal hernia, or alleviate the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Effective for other purposes as well, it offers the benefits of reduced post-operative pain and a shorter recovery time as compared to open-chest surgery.
