MedStar Georgetown Surgeons Make History with Three Single-Port Robotic Surgery Firsts in One Week

Patients benefit from one small incision, less pain, a faster recovery, and less visible scarring.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a remarkable week of surgical innovation, surgeons at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital achieved three major milestones using the da Vinci SP® (Single Port) robotic surgical system, performing groundbreaking breast, colorectal, and thoracic procedures through a single incision. Among them was a first-of-its kind robotic mastectomy paired with nerve reconstruction to help preserve sensation, all performed through a single, hidden incision.

Novel Robotic Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Helps Preserve Sensation

On June 25, Lucy De La Cruz, MD, chief of the Breast Surgery program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and system chief of Breast Surgery at MedStar Health, performed a robotic bilateral nipple-sparing mastectomy using the Single-Port system for a 50-year-old woman with breast cancer.

At most U.S. hospitals offering robotic nipple-sparing mastectomies, surgeons make the incision in the armpit or along the side of the chest. Instead, Dr. De La Cruz and plastic surgeon Kenneth Fan, MD, created a single, 4-centimeter incision hidden within the natural fold beneath the breast. Through that opening, they combined several innovative techniques not typically performed together in robotic breast surgery:

• Immediate breast reconstruction with a permanent implant and no supporting mesh
• A sentinel lymph node biopsy through the same incision
• A nerve-sparing technique designed to help preserve breast sensation

"One incision. One surgery. My patient woke up with her cancer treated and a scar she'll barely see. Just hours later, she was back home recovering with her family," said Dr. De La Cruz. "For too long, women have had to choose between treating their cancer and preserving sensation. While we've made tremendous progress in the cosmetic outcomes of mastectomy, restoring feeling has remained an unmet need. This new approach is designed to address both."

This robotic procedure is best suited for breast cancer patients with small to moderate-sized breasts, a healthy body weight, and nipples that are appropriately positioned. It is not recommended for patients with larger or sagging breasts or those with inflammatory breast cancer.

MedStar Georgetown is one of only 10 hospitals nationwide performing a nipple-sparing mastectomy with the Single-Port system and the only hospital in the Washington, D.C., region offering the procedure.

Advancing Colorectal Surgery with Single-Port Robotics

The following day, on June 26, colorectal surgeon Tushar Samdani, MD, performed two of the region's first Single-Port robotic colorectal procedures: a partial bowel resection and a colostomy for obstructive rectal cancer. A colostomy involves creating a small opening in the abdomen, called a stoma, through which waste can exit the body. In this case, Dr. Samdani used the stoma site as the robot's only entry point and completed the entire surgery through that single opening. By operating through the stoma site, he avoided the additional incisions typically required for the procedure, leaving no new scars on the patient's abdomen.

"This technology allows us to perform certain abdominal procedures for patients with both cancerous and non-cancerous conditions using an even less invasive approach," said Dr. Samdani. "For many patients, that can mean less discomfort, reduced trauma to the body, and a faster return to normal activities."

Mid-Atlantic First in Single-Port Robotic Thoracic Lobectomy

Just three days later, 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. Traditional minimally invasive lung procedures require incisions between the ribs. Instead, Dr. Margolis made a single incision below the rib cage. This approach may reduce pain while still providing surgeons with excellent access to the lung.

"The ability to reach the chest through a single lower incision represents an exciting advance in thoracic surgery," said Dr. Margolis. "To date, we have performed four lobectomies, two thymectomies (removal of the thymus gland), and a range of other lung resections using this approach. Patients have had less pain, most have not needed narcotics, and they have been doing very well. We are continually looking for ways to make complex operations less invasive while continuing to provide excellent care."

"These robotic procedures are among the many "firsts in surgery" being developed at MedStar Georgetown," said Thomas Fishbein, MD, chair of Surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. "Our surgeons are pushing the boundaries of what is possible across many specialties while delivering an exceptional patient experience. These milestones reflect our commitment to bringing the most advanced surgical care available to the patients we serve."

In addition to breast, colorectal, and thoracic surgery, MedStar Georgetown surgeons are expanding use of the Single-Port platform in urologic and head and neck procedures.

SOURCE MedStar Health