The thoracic surgery department at the Cisanello Hospital in Pisa performs 1,000 operations a year and employs highly advanced technology and was the first in Italy to operate on the lungs with a robotic Radiofrequency Induced Thermal Ablation (RITA).
The department, headed up by Prof. Alfredo Mussi, is at forefront for quality and number of operations in Italy and Europe.
In the past, the RITA technology used to destroy cancerous cells was used on bones and the liver only.
However, doctors in Pisa studied RITA's effects on the lungs and have used it on various lung tumour pathologies since 2001.
The Pisa hospital is also at the forefront for their non-invasive surgery techniques that also employ robotics and allow them to avoid laparoscopic and thoracoscopic practices.
Currently, a robot with three cameras is utilized by the doctor positioned three or four metres from the patient.
