From new educational pathways to clinical developments, here are three milestones in anesthesia so far in 2025:
1. Lexington-based University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center has begun using surgical robotics to diagnose and treat early-stage lung cancer in a single anesthesia session, according to an Aug. 14 news release.
In the new approach, patients first undergo a biopsy with Intuitive’s Ion endoluminal system. While the patient remains under anesthesia, pathologists analyze the sample for cancer and if it is found, surgeons immediately proceed with tumor removal using a da Vinci surgical robot. This eliminates the usual three-to-eight week gap between diagnosis and surgery, reducing anesthesia exposures, recovery time and patient anxiety.
2. Traverse City, Mich.-based Munson Medical Center has completed its first lung cancer procedure performed entirely under a single anesthetic event. The procedure, which took place July 10, involved both a biopsy and surgical removal of cancer during one uninterrupted session, with the patient remaining under one sedation throughout.
3 .Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., plans to launch the state’s first certified anesthesiologist assistant master’s program.
