Last week, Horacio Oduber Hospital (HOH) had the honor of welcoming world-renowned medical pioneer Dr. Diego Gonzalez Rivas. He is a thoracic surgeon specializing in advanced chest and lung procedures and is best known for developing the groundbreaking single-port VATS technique in 2010—a minimally invasive approach that allows complex lung surgeries to be performed through a very small incision. The hospital proudly hosted Dr. Gonzalez as he demonstrated his innovative method during a lung operation in Aruba.
HOH surgeon and Board Member Dr. Yuri Casseres expressed his pride in operating alongside Dr. Gonzalez, a surgeon who travels the world performing and teaching advanced procedures. Aruba became the 140th country he has visited for surgery. Dr. Gonzalez is currently working on a Netflix television series highlighting his global surgical journey, making his visit—though only one day—an extraordinary moment for the island.
HOH spent more than a year preparing for this surgery, which required bringing in specialized instruments specifically used by Dr. Gonzalez. During his visit, he trained the operating room staff on the tools and demonstrated how major lung surgeries can be performed through an incision as small as two centimeters.
Dr. Gonzalez shared his satisfaction with the successful operation and praised the professionalism of the HOH team. “This operating room is one of the most modern I have seen. It has top technology, but also highly trained nurses, OR assistants, and anesthesia professionals. We removed part of a lung and drained excess fluid through a small two-centimeter incision,” he said. He thanked the entire HOH team for their excellent cooperation.
HOH emphasized that international specialists regularly visit Aruba to conduct operations. These collaborations help expand knowledge, inspire the local medical community, and continually raise the quality of patient care on the island.
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