Samer Kaanen, MD, FACS, FCCP

MINIMALLY INVASIVE THORACIC SURGERY

Dr. Samer A. Kanaan, MD, FACS, FCCP combines compassionate care and state-of-the-art technology to bring the best in minimally-invasive thoracic surgery to Orange County. His revolutionary approach utilizes the da Vinci^® Surgical System to ensure a high rate of success in treating cancer and lung disease, including faster recovery times and less risk of infection, pain, and scarring.

Dr. Kanaan is a Harvard-trained, board-certified surgeon specializing in minimally-invasive robotic surgery, and is one of only a handful of doctors in the United States qualified to use the da Vinci® Surgical System to perform high precision thoracic surgeries. Dr. Kanaan received his medical degree and general surgery training from North-western University. He completed his thoracic fellowship at USC and a lung cancer fellowship at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Since then he has worked as an attending surgeon at numerous hospitals and medical centers throughout California, and in 2018 was appointed Chair of the Cancer Committee at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.

Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer in America and the world, and has previously been treatable only through chemotherapy, open chest surgery, or 2-dimensional video-assisted surgery.

The da Vinci® Surgical System works by greatly increasing the surgeon’s visualization of the operating field through a 3D camera, which provides a magnified, high-resolution image of the lung and chest area. The surgeon controls four interactive robotic arms through miniaturized EndoWrist surgical instruments, which mimic the exact movements of his hands as he sews, staples, and dissects tissue.

The benefits of minimally-invasive robotic surgery go far beyond surgical precision during the operation. Since the procedure only makes small, 1 cm. incisions in the rib space, it does not require spreading or cutting the breastbone or ribs. This means the operation is safer for patients, who experience less blood loss, have shorter hospital stays, and can usually return to normal activities within a few weeks. Robotic thoracic surgery also makes lung surgery a viable option for older patients in their 80s and 90s, who would normally be prohibited from considering a surgical care option.

Unlike with many other specialists, patients at Dr. Kanaan’s Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo offices don’t have to wait weeks, or even months, just to get an appointment. Dr. Kanaan usually gets patients in for an appointment within one week, and will often be performing robotic assisted surgery a week later.

Dr. Kanaan is so highly respected in his field that the makers of the da Vinci^® robotic system have asked him to train other surgeons in its use. He routinely travels across the country teaching expert surgeons at some of the most prestigious hospitals and universities in the nation.

To learn more about Dr. Kanaan and robotic thoracic surgery, or to schedule an appointment, www.SamerKanaanMD.com. He is a preferred provider for most medical insurance plans, including Medicare.

SAMER KAANEN, MD, FACS
Mission Viejo / Laguna Hills
949.444.LUNG
SamerKanaanMD.com