THORACIC SURGERY
AS A YOUNG AND VIBRANT 28 year old, Christina Garner was not expecting to be diagnosed with lung cancer. She had never smoked and was healthy. The diagnosis was shocking to her and her family. Likely from a rare condition she was born with, the disease causes small, benign tumours throughout the airway which need to be cleared every four to six weeks through surgery. These small tumours can rapidly become cancerous and without treatment can cause the airway to close. Luckily for Christina, doctors at Royal Jubilee Hospital detected her lung cancer before it progressed too far. Dr. John Samphire, Division Chief of Thoracic Surgery with Island Health, performed a lobectomy, a minimally invasive procedure where a part of the lung is removed, to eliminate the malignant area. In conjunction with chemotherapy, the surgery left Christina cancer-free and able to get back to living a full life. “We never know when we are going to face these kind of challenges in life,” says Christina. “I’m so grateful for the excellent care I received from not only the surgeons but the entire team. They saved my life!” To perform the surgery, Dr. Samphire used advanced video-assisted equipment, four of which are being funded through this campaign. “We now operate using scopes, cameras and small probes in 80% of cases. Advanced cameras guide our work and ensure we have a vivid picture of what’s happening inside a patient’s body. And because the incisions are so much smaller, people experience less pain and trauma and recover much sooner than in the past. Advanced tools and technology have revolutionized our work.” Thoracic Surgery Equipment: $62,500 victoriahf.ca/thoracicsurgery