Pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the lungs, can be life-threating. But for Paulette Jackson of Mantachie, it likely saved her life.

“I was having some trouble breathing that Sunday, but I thought it was just allergies,” Paulette says. Her son, Butch, instructed her to get a chest X-ray the next day just to be safe.

On Monday, Paulette struggled to drive to Mantachie Rural Health Care, which is only a mile from her home and, “by the time I got to the clinic, everything was going dark,” she says.

Clinic staff called an ambulance to transport Paulette to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. “In the ER, they ran several tests and told me I had blood clots in both lungs,” she says. “And they also found a small mass in the lower lobe of my right lung.”

Pulmonologist Dr. Jaime Ungo treated the blood clots and explained to Paulette her options for the mass. “I told him, I want that cancer out, whether you have to take the whole lung or just part of it,” Paulette says. “I want it gone.”

Dr. Ungo referred Paulette to Dr. Vishal Sachdev, a cardiothoracic surgeon who performs robotic-assisted lung surgery at NMMC. “I prayed about it,” she says, “and I felt that’s what I needed to do.”

Dr. Sachdev says 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,” he explains. “With robotic surgery, we typically make just four small incisions—about 1.5 inches each—between the ribs,” he explains. “Because it’s less invasive, the patient doesn’t have to go to the Critical Care Unit afterward and they get out of the hospital and recover much more quickly.”

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.

Dr. Sachdev says patients lose less blood, have minimal pain, recover faster and experience fewer complications. In addition to lung cancer surgery, he uses the robotic technique for other types of chest procedures.

“I was totally amazed at how small the incisions were,” Paulette says. “After I left the hospital, my family tried to stay with me, but I told them to go home because I didn’t need anyone to help. It’s amazing that the surgery can be done like this.”

“While not everyone is a candidate for robotic surgery, we’re using 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.

This procedure is the newest weapon in NMMC’s fight against cancer. NMMC also recently acquired the ION robotic-assisted platform to diagnose lung cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage. This technology enables doctors to perform minimally invasive lung biopsies and reach very small nodules that would be difficult and risky to reach with traditional methods.

“Early detection and treatment for lung cancer makes a huge difference,” Dr. Sachdev says. “When we act early, we can go for the cure.”

And such was the case for Paulette. After surgery she did not require chemotherapy, radiation therapy—or even supplemental oxygen.

“I was so blessed that my cancer was found when it was. God can turn bad things into good, and that’s what he did with those blood clots,” Paulette says. “God has been so good to me through all of this.”