Surgeons At Ochsner Cancer Institute Introduce Innovative New Procedures To Region

NEW ORLEANS – Two surgeons at the Ochsner Cancer Institute recently performed procedures that are the first of their kind in the state of Louisiana.

Robotic Whipple Procedure for Pancreatic Cancer
W. Charles Conway, MD, FACS, surgical oncologist at Ochsner Medical Center, recently performed the first totally robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure) in Louisiana. This complex operation is most commonly done for pancreatic cancer, and traditionally requires a large abdominal incision. Robotic surgery allows complex operations to be done in a minimally invasive fashion, with small incisions, all while maintaining the principles of cancer surgery.

"Robotic surgery has allowed us to offer very complex pancreatic operations in a minimally invasive fashion,” said Conway. “We are able to perform the same operation through small incisions to reduce wound pain, hasten recovery, and improve quality of life. Since the internal operation does not change, cancer outcomes are equivalent to traditional open surgery."

Using Hyperthermic Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
Dr. Rodney J. Landreneau, Director of the Ochsner Cancer Institute and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Surgery for Cancer Services, recently performed a surgical debulking procedure with hyperthermic chemotherapy to treat malignant mesothelioma of the chest. This is the first intervention of its kind in Louisiana, though Landreneau successfully performed many of these procedures during his 25-year career at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Malignant mesothelioma is a serious, difficult to treat cancer related to asbestos exposure which commonly involves the lining cells of the lung. Landreneau has introduced to our region this innovative approach which may lead to improved removal of visible tumors and cancer-related survival. Surgical debulking with hyperthermic chemotherapy involves removal of all visible tumors from the chest cavity, commonly saving the patient’s lung, and then instilling "hot" chemotherapy throughout the chest cavity to treat microscopic tumor cells that may remain.

“This therapy provides hope for the many patients of our region with this potentially devastating disease," says Landreneau, a world-recognized expert in thoracic surgical oncology.

To learn more about Ochsner’s cancer services, please call 504-842-3708 or visit ochsner.org/cancer.

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Ochsner Health is southeast Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by nine hospitals, both owned and managed, and more than 40 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 18 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across eight specialty categories. Ochsner employs more than 14,000 employees, over 900 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually. Ochsner Health is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.