Keith Delman, MD
Surgical Oncologist
"I had a 26 year old woman go to a wedding seven weeks after surgery in six inch heels and she danced the whole night."
Two Winship surgeons, Keith Delman, MD and Viraj Master, MD, PhD, have pioneered a minimally invasive procedure to remove cancerous lymph nodes from the groin area. In the accompanying video, they explain how the surgery works and share anecdotes about their patients who now have a better quality of life.
Depending on the type of cancer, some cancer patients may be considered for this technique. Typically, the standard way to remove all of the lymph nodes in the groin is by a large incision, approximately 8-10 inches in length. For patients who have this operation, there is a very high incidence of complications after surgery with as many as 50% of patients having problems. These problems range from a low grade skin infection needing oral antibiotics to deep infections requiring the wound to be opened and occasionally needing readmission to the hospital and antibiotics given via the vein. With the advent of new technology and new equipment, the ability to perform this videoscopic procedure through small incisions away from the groin and further down the leg has become possible.
Drs. Delman and Master have since performed over 100 videoscopic procedures in this minimally invasive manner and have taught it to surgical oncologists from major academic centers in the United States and around the world.