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Dr. Rohan consults with a patient about her options in the offices of Hudson Valley Surgical Specialists in Kingston, NY. TIF was available, I used the laparo- scopic fundoplication method to treat GERD. It can work well, but there are risks involved.” Advances in Diagnosing and Treating Lung Cancer Lung cancer continues to be the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women. According to the National Cancer Institute, 1.3 million people in the United States die each year from the disease. “Although these statistics are distress- ing, the good news is that if you find lung cancer early enough, you can offer a cure through surgery,” says Dr. Rohan. “Five years ago, if someone was diagnosed with lung cancer, we could only operate on one quarter of these patients, and the only surgical alternative was to perform an open thoracotomy. This type of surgery presented a lot of complications. You had to make a 10- to 12-inch incision on the side of the patient’s chest, spread or break the patient’s ribs and cut through muscle just to access the surgical site and remove the lobe,” says Dr. Rohan. “Recovery time was long and painful and lasted six weeks to two months. Today, we can offer new, minimally invasive options for patients with lung cancer. It’s really amazing the progress that’s been made in thoracic surgery to treat lung cancer.” Diagnostic Endobronchial Ultrasound Dr. Rohan is highly experienced in performing endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), a new, quick, minimally invasive procedure that helps diagnose lung cancer, infections and other diseases that cause enlarged lymph nodes in the chest. “I’ve probably done more EBUS procedures than any physician between Albany and Westchester,” Dr. Rohan says. During the procedure, which is performed under moderate sedation or general anesthesia, Dr. Rohan carefully inserts a small bronchoscope through the patient’s mouth and windpipe until it reaches the chest. The bronchoscope is equipped with a special ultrasound device at the tip that provides clear, real-time images of the surface of the patient’s airways, blood vessels This endoscopic device is used by Dr. Rohan to perform a minimally invasive anatomic correction for some GERD sufferers. MDNEWS.COM MD NEWS Mid Hudson | 9