Robotic thoracic lymph node dissection for lung cancer

Lymph node assessment is considered a critical part of oncologic staging and treatment. The number of lymph nodes removed at surgical resection, or completeness of lymph node dissection, may contribute to overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS). There is considerable debate on the most appropriate approach to determine which patients require a complete lymph node dissection, particularly in early-stage, clinically node-negative non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This article will focus on the techniques for a complete lymphadenectomy during Da Vinci Xi platform (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) robot-assisted lung resection.