Robotic Repair of Gunshot Injury to Trachea

Robotic surgery is very rarely considered for trauma cases. In this unique case, the patient came from an outside hospital with a gunshot through the thorax and suffered an isolated midtracheal injury with minor lung lacerations. After thorough assessment, the decision was made to perform a robotic repair with veno-venous ECMO for support. The operation was successful, and the patient was discharged home on postoperative day three. 

While the application of robotics to trauma surgery is not common and may be typically discouraged, this unique case highlights the relative technical ease and minimally invasive benefits of robotic tracheal surgery in the setting of trauma. This video is a brief overview of the pre-operative assessment, intraoperative technique, and the post-operative imaging for the patient.

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