Back to What He Loves: Tommy's Lung Cancer Story

Ever since Tommy Smith of Vina, Alabama, had prostate cancer in 2014, his doctor “keeps a good close eye” on him.

Tommy sees Dr. Raymond Arriola at Fulton Medical Clinic every six months for a thorough checkup. “Two or three years ago, Dr. Arriola found a spot on my right lung,” he recalls. “He watched it a little while, and then it started growing.”

A Precise, Gentler Option

Dr. Arriola referred Tommy to Dr. Vishal Sachdev at Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Clinic in Tupelo. 

In October 2024, Dr. Sachdev performed robotic-assisted surgery at North Mississippi Medical Center to remove the mass in Tommy’s lung.

Robotic-assisted lung surgery is extremely precise and much easier on the patient. “With traditional lung surgery, we open up the chest and spread the ribs,” Dr. Sachdev explains. “With robotic surgery, we typically make just four small incisions—about 1.5 inches each—between the ribs.”

The surgeon places a small, 3D high-definition camera through one of the incisions to provide a magnified view of the inside of the chest cavity. Next, robotic instruments, which the surgeon controls, are placed through the other incisions. 

The surgeon gets a clear picture of the chest and, thanks to the wristed instruments, has access to parts of the chest that can otherwise be difficult to reach. Then, the surgeon removes lung tissue through one of the incisions.

Because it’s less invasive, patients typically don’t have to go to the Critical Care Unit afterward, and they get out of the hospital and recover much more quickly. 

Fortunately, Tommy did not require any subsequent radiation therapy or chemotherapy for lung cancer.

Healing Faster, Living Fully

“I’ve done good from Day 1,” Tommy says. “I just had to take it slow and easy for a little bit, but I’ve done about everything I’ve wanted to do.” For the 74-year-old who retired after preaching for 49 years, that includes training horses, fishing and traveling.

“While not everyone is a candidate for robotic surgery, we use this procedure for everyone we possibly can,” Dr. Sachdev says, noting excellent patient outcomes since the first case here in October 2023. NMMC is the only hospital in north Mississippi and one of only two statewide to offer robotic lung surgery.

“I’m blessed,” Tommy adds. “I couldn’t have done any better.”