Single-port robotic surgery transforms cancer care at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island

After enduring seven prior abdominal surgeries, 64-year-old Joy Monetti from Islip was no stranger to painful procedures and lengthy recoveries. However, it was her recent single-port (SP) robotic surgery at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island that proved transformative. Using SP technology, Anthony Corcoran, MD, successfully removed from her left kidney a mass that was later determined to be noncancerous. The minimally invasive procedure left Monetti feeling better and mobile almost immediately.

"I've had seven abdominal surgeries in the past, many of which were painful and required long recovery times," said Monetti. "This procedure was a real eye-opener—nothing like the prior ones. When I got home after being kept overnight, it was hard for me to rest because I felt so good. You can't even see the scar." Three weeks later, Monetti was back to caring for her grandchildren, a testament of the reduced recovery time made possible by SP technology.

NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island has emerged as a pioneer in SP robotic surgery, an innovative technique that allows surgeons to perform complex procedures through a single incision to minimize trauma to surrounding areas and allows patients to heal faster. Utilizing robotic surgery, these procedures offer a less-invasive alternative to traditional approaches, benefiting patients with reduced pain, quicker recovery, and less scarring.

Two of the innovators using this technique are Tara Martinez, DO, and Dr. Corcoran. Dr. Martinez, one of only two surgeons in the state of New York certified to perform colorectal SP procedures, has leveraged this technology for a variety of conditions, including cancer-related colon resections, polyps, rectal prolapse, diverticular disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.

"Single-port robotic procedures are transforming how we treat cancers, especially here on Long Island," said Dr. Martinez. "The precision that we're able to have while minimizing the trauma to the area is a game changer for patients, with many able to return to normal activity much sooner than expected."

Dr. Corcoran, director of urologic oncology at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island and member of Perlmutter Cancer Center, is the sole surgeon on Long Island performing SP extraperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy, a minimally invasive surgery using robotic assistance to remove part of the kidney while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible, and radical prostatectomy, a surgical procedure to completely remove the prostate gland to treat prostate cancer.

With the innovation offered by single-port technology, Joy and other patients are able to recover in a matter of days compared to weeks with traditional surgical methods."

Dr. Anthony Corcoran, MD, director of urologic oncology at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island