One Small Incision, Four Procedures: New Robotic Approach Combines Breast Cancer Treatment, Reconstruction, Biopsy, and Nerve Preservation in One Surgery

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

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For many women facing a mastectomy, surgery can mean more than removing cancer. It may also result in visible scarring and loss of breast sensation. At MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, a new robotic approach is helping change that experience.

A 50-year-old woman with early-stage breast cancer recently underwent a robotic bilateral nipple-sparing mastectomy using the da Vinci SP® (Single Port) surgical system. Through a single hidden incision, surgeons removed breast tissue from both breasts while preserving the nipples, performed a sentinel lymph node biopsy to assess whether the cancer had spread, placed breast implants during the same operation, and used a nerve-sparing approach designed to help preserve sensation.

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 the procedure, in collaboration with plastic surgeon Kenneth Fan, MD.

"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.  "This new approach allows patients to have their cancer treated, their breast reconstructed, their lymph nodes checked, and sensation preserved, all during one minimally invasive robotic procedure."

At most hospitals offering robotic nipple-sparing mastectomies, the incision is typically made in the armpit or along the side of the chest. In this case, Dr. De La Cruz and Dr.  Fan completed the entire procedure through a single, 4-centimeter incision hidden within the natural fold beneath the breast. The smaller, concealed incision may help reduce pain, speed recovery, and leave less noticeable scarring.

This robotic procedure is best suited for certain 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 in the country performing nipple-sparing mastectomies with the da Vinci Single-Port system and the only hospital in the Washington, D.C., region offering the procedure.

SOURCE MedStar Health