The end of 2025 marked an exciting new milestone in lung cancer care.
For the first time at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), specialists from Thoracic Surgery and Interventional Pulmonology together completed a combined robotic lung procedure during a single anesthesia.
During the procedure, physicians used robotic bronchoscopy—a minimally invasive technique that navigates the airways with exceptional precision—to locate a very small lung nodule, measuring just 7 millimeters. The team was able to biopsy the nodule and gently mark it with dye, eliminating the need for removal of additional lung tissue. In the same procedure, surgeons then removed the targeted area of lung using robotic-assisted surgery.
This approach, called “single anesthesia bronchoscopy and resection (SABR), is used at leading thoracic institutions across the country and is now available to patients here in our region through Dartmouth Cancer Center (DCC)’s Comprehensive Thoracic Oncology Program (CTOP).
Location, biopsy and removal of the nodule all at once offers several important benefits for the patient, including:
- Only one time under anesthesia
- More precise removal of the lung tissue
- Preservation of as much healthy lung tissue as possible
- Real-time diagnosis and treatment
The SABR approach allows doctors to find and treat small or hard-to-reach lung nodules that may not be visible on the surface of the lung, all while minimizing the impact on the patient’s body.
“This is another example of how we’re bringing advanced, patient-centered thoracic cancer care to our region,” said thoracic surgeon Dana M. Ferrari-Light, DO, MPH, who took part in the procedure. “It reflects not only the technology we have, but how closely our specialists work together, that we could integrate seamlessly into the same operating room.”
Ferrari-Light worked side-by-side with interventional pulmonologist David J. Feller-Kopman, MD. “This procedure really highlights our multi-disciplinary efforts to ensure that our patients are receiving the best possible care,” said Feller-Kopman, referring to DCC’s highly trained, highly experienced surgical team, advanced practice providers, and administrative staff. “Their coordination and ability to collaborate across specialties make it possible to seamlessly combine complex procedures in one setting—ensuring everything runs smoothly from start to finish.”
Continuing to expand innovative, team-based approaches like this one means DCC patients here in northern New England have access to the same advanced lung cancer care and technology available at major national institutions—without the need to travel far from home.