NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island has introduced single-port (SP) robotic surgery for cancer care, a technique that allows complex procedures to be performed through a single incision. The hospital reports that this approach can minimize trauma to surrounding tissues and reduce recovery time.
Joy Monetti, a 64-year-old patient from Islip who had previously undergone seven abdominal surgeries, described her experience with SP robotic surgery at the hospital as notably different from her past procedures. “I’ve had seven abdominal surgeries in the past, many of which were painful and required long recovery times,” Monetti said. “This procedure was a real eye-opener—nothing like the prior ones. When I got home after being kept overnight, it was hard for me to rest because I felt so good. You can’t even see the scar.” She added that she was able to resume caring for her grandchildren just three weeks after the operation.
The hospital credits two surgeons with advancing this technology: Tara Martinez, DO, and Anthony Corcoran, MD. Dr. Martinez is one of only two surgeons in New York State certified for colorectal SP procedures and uses the technology for various conditions such as colon resections due to cancer, polyps, rectal prolapse, diverticular disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.
“Single-port robotic procedures are transforming how we treat cancers, especially here on Long Island,” Dr. Martinez said. “The precision that we’re able to have while minimizing the trauma to the area is a game changer for patients, with many able to return to normal activity much sooner than expected.”
Dr. Corcoran serves as director of urologic oncology at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island and is also part of Perlmutter Cancer Center. He is currently the only surgeon on Long Island performing SP extraperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy—a minimally invasive kidney surgery—and radical prostatectomy using this method.
“With the innovation offered by single-port technology, Monetti and other patients are able to recover in a matter of days compared to weeks with traditional surgical methods,” Dr. Corcoran stated.
NYU Langone Health operates as an integrated health system focused on quality outcomes and maintains some of the lowest mortality rates nationwide. The organization has been ranked first among 118 comprehensive academic medical centers in the United States by Vizient Inc. for four consecutive years and recently saw four clinical specialties named No. 1 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The health system includes seven inpatient locations—including its Perlmutter Cancer Center—and more than 320 outpatient sites across New York and Florida; it also encompasses two tuition-free medical schools in Manhattan and Long Island along with an extensive research division.
