Surgeons at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital completed three surgical firsts in one week in late June using the da Vinci SP Single Port robotic system, each performed through a single incision and each representing a regional or national milestone in minimally invasive robotic surgery. The procedures covered breast, colorectal, and thoracic surgery, demonstrating the single-port platform’s applicability across multiple specialties.
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy With Nerve Reconstruction
On June 25, Lucy De La Cruz, MD, chief of the Breast Surgery program at MedStar Georgetown, performed a robotic bilateral nipple-sparing mastectomy on a 50-year-old breast cancer patient through a single 4-centimeter incision hidden within the natural fold beneath the breast – a location chosen for its concealment rather than the armpit or lateral chest incisions used at most U.S. hospitals offering the procedure.
Through that single opening, De La Cruz and plastic surgeon Kenneth Fan combined immediate breast reconstruction with a permanent implant, a sentinel lymph node biopsy, and a nerve-sparing technique designed to preserve breast sensation. The combination of reconstruction and sensation preservation in a single procedure through a single incision is not typically offered together in robotic breast surgery. MedStar Georgetown is one of only 10 hospitals in the United States performing nipple-sparing mastectomy with the Single Port system and the only facility in the Washington, D.C. region.
“For too long, women have had to choose between treating their cancer and preserving sensation,” said De La Cruz. “This new approach is designed to address both.”
Colorectal Surgery Through the Stoma Site
The following day, colorectal surgeon Tushar Samdani performed two of the region’s first Single Port robotic colorectal procedures, including a partial bowel resection and a colostomy for obstructive rectal cancer. In the colostomy procedure, Samdani used the stoma site itself – the opening created in the abdomen through which waste exits – as the robot’s sole entry point, completing the entire surgery through that single opening and avoiding additional abdominal incisions entirely. The approach leaves no new scarring beyond the stoma site already required by the procedure.
Mid-Atlantic First in Thoracic Lobectomy
On June 29, Marc Margolis, MD, chief of Thoracic Surgery, performed the first Single Port robotic thoracic lobectomy in the Mid-Atlantic region, removing a portion of a patient’s lung through a single incision placed below the rib cage rather than between the ribs as traditional minimally invasive lung procedures require. Margolis has now performed four lobectomies, two thymectomies, and multiple lung resections using the approach. “Patients have had less pain, most have not needed narcotics, and they have been doing very well,” he said.
The Broader Platform Expansion
The three procedures are part of a broader single-port robotic surgery program at MedStar Georgetown that extends across urologic and head and neck procedures in addition to the breast, colorectal, and thoracic applications demonstrated in June. The da Vinci SP system, made by Intuitive Surgical, concentrates all instrumentation through a single entry point, reducing the number of incisions from the three to four typically required in multi-port robotic surgery to one.
Disclaimer: RobotsBeat is an independent media brand owned and operated by NuvexMedia LLC, publishing news, research, and insights on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, automation, and related industries. NuvexMedia LLC invests in and collaborates with companies across the AI, Robotics, technology, software, and digital innovation sectors. These relationships do not influence RobotsBeat's editorial coverage, and the publication maintains full editorial independence to provide accurate, timely, and objective information. © 2026 NuvexMedia LLC. All rights reserved. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, tax, investment, financial, or other professional advice.
