Traditionally when a baby was born with a malformation of the lung or esophagus, they had to undergo open surgery involving a large chest incision with risk for serious complications.
Now, pediatric surgeons at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian are one of only a few in the United States to offer the corrective surgery using innovative minimally invasive techniques -- with benefits including reduced pain, risk for complications and visible scarring.
Esophageal atresia is a dangerous condition in which the lower part of the baby's esophagus is connected to its windpipe instead of its upper esophagus, thereby preventing proper eating, drinking and breathing. Congenital lung conditions involve a benign lung mass that has grown either inside or outside the lung, putting the baby at risk for infection, compromised lung development, and, in rare cases, cancer. The minimally invasive surgery to correct these conditions -- thoracoscopic lobectomy and thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula -- involve three small incisions the diameter of a pencil through which the endoscopic instruments are inserted.
Traditional "open surgery" requires a large chest incision beginning under the shoulder blade and continuing to where the nipple is. Recovery can be particularly painful, according to surgeons, hurting with every breath. In addition, traditional surgery increases risk for long-term complications, including scoliosis, chest development and muscle weakness.