ECU Health performs state’s first single-port robotic upper lung lobectomies with da Vinci SP system
Greenville, N.C. – Dr. Robert Allman, an ECU Health cardiothoracic surgeon, completed North Carolina’s first single-port robotic upper lobectomies using the Intuitive da Vinci SP (single port) robot. Dr. Allman performed the first right upper lobectomy on May 19, 2026, and the first left upper lobectomy on June 15, 2026, at ECU Health Medical Center.
Upper lobectomies are performed to remove lung nodules that could be cancerous. The da Vinci SP system allows surgeons to perform complex thoracic procedures through a single small incision rather than multiple incisions required in traditional minimally invasive surgery. This allows surgeons to operate from beneath the rib cage, minimizing irritation to the intercostal nerves that often contribute to post-surgical pain. Because the incision also serves as the extraction site, patients require only one incision during their procedure.
“The single port system is an important tool to provide expanded cardiothoracic care in the state and the region,” Dr. Allman said. “From my perspective patients are experiencing less pain, which means they can continue their necessary treatment for cancer and other ailments with less time spent recovering from surgery.”
Reducing post-surgical pain provides benefits beyond patient comfort. In older adults and other vulnerable patients, severe chest pain may limit deep breathing and mobility during recovery, increasing the risk of complications such as pneumonia. By minimizing post-operative pain, surgeons hope to improve recovery outcomes and help patients resume additional treatments sooner when needed.
The technology also expands treatment options for patients whose health marked them at risk for more invasive procedures.
Since launching the program this spring, ECU Health has completed approximately 15 single-port robotic thoracic procedures. The technology is being used for a growing range of thoracic operations and positions ECU Health among a limited number of academic health systems nationwide utilizing the platform for lung resections.
“Being the first health system in the state to perform this procedure is an impressive milestone that shows ECU Health is committed to ensuring patients across eastern North Carolina access to high-quality, minimally invasive treatment close to home,” said Jay Briley, president of ECU Health Medical Center. “This technology is another option physicians can tailor to patients’ needs and an important tool that expands our ability to serve the region.”
The procedures were supported by Dr. Carlos Anciano, Dr. Aundrea Oliver, Dr. James Speicher, Dr. Mark Iannettoni and Dr. Lauren Johnson.
When ECU Health Beaufort Hospital recently began offering the MISHA® Knee System, it provided a new treatment option for patients living with medial knee osteoarthritis who are not ready for a knee replacement. Dr. Dimitri M. Thomas, orthopedic surgeon at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, is the only physician in eastern North Carolina offering the MISHA Knee System, providing patients in the region access to this innovative treatment closer to home.
Now, newly published long-term research led by Moximed is reinforcing the potential benefits of the innovative technology.
Results from a five-year study conducted in 10 orthopedic clinics across the United States and Europe found that patients treated with the MISHA Knee System experienced sustained pain relief, improved function and long-term durability.
The findings add to growing evidence supporting the MISHA Knee System as an effective option for patients seeking relief from knee osteoarthritis while maintaining an active lifestyle.
“Knee osteoarthritis can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, making everyday activities difficult and limiting their ability to remain active,” said Dr. Thomas. “These five-year results are encouraging because they demonstrate that patients are not only experiencing meaningful improvements after surgery, but that those improvements are lasting over time.”
The study followed patients with medial knee osteoarthritis who had failed non-surgical treatments such as medication, injections and physical therapy. Researchers tracked outcomes for five years after MISHA Knee System implantation and reported strong results across key measures:
- 96% of patients experienced clinically meaningful improvement in pain
- 86% of patients experienced clinically meaningful improvement in physical function
- 90% of patients avoided conversion to knee replacement surgery or high tibial osteotomy during the five-year period
The MISHA Knee System is a less-invasive treatment designed to ease knee pain and help patients return to the activities they enjoy by reducing peak forces on the painful joint during walking, running or standing. Unlike knee replacement surgery, MISHA preserves the patient’s natural anatomy and does not require the removal of bone, cartilage or ligaments.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of Americans live with osteoarthritis, a condition that can cause chronic pain, stiffness and reduced mobility. While conservative therapies can help manage symptoms, many patients continue to search for solutions that relieve pain without immediately progressing to joint replacement.
“For active patients who are looking for meaningful relief but are not candidates for or not ready to consider a knee replacement, the MISHA Knee System offers another pathway,” Dr. Thomas said. “Our goal is always to help patients maintain mobility, reduce pain and continue participating in the activities that matter most to them.”
The study also highlighted the ability of many patients to maintain active lifestyles years after surgery, including participation in activities such as running, biking and tennis.
Dennis Campbell II, DHA, RN, president of ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, said access to innovative treatments closer to home remains a priority for the hospital and the communities it serves.
“As we continue working to improve access to advanced care across eastern North Carolina, it is important that patients have local options that can help them stay active and independent,” Campbell said. “The publication of these long-term results further strengthens confidence in the MISHA Knee System and the value it can provide patients facing the challenges of knee osteoarthritis.”
Today, Dr. Dimitri M. Thomas, orthopedic surgeon at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, remains currently the only physician in eastern North Carolina offering the MISHA Knee System procedure, providing patients in the region access to this innovative treatment closer to home.
Patients interested in learning more about the MISHA Knee System can contact ECU Health Orthopedics – Washington at 252-946-6513. To read the full peer-reviewed publication, visit JBJS Online.
Greenville, N.C. — ECU Health Medical Center recently surpassed 100 GammaTile® procedures for patients with brain tumors, marking a significant milestone in advancing access to innovative cancer care across eastern North Carolina. The achievement places ECU Health among a limited number of centers nationwide with this level of experience using GammaTile®, an FDA-approved, surgically targeted radiation therapy designed to improve outcomes for patients with operable brain tumors.
“Reaching 100 GammaTile® procedures is a significant achievement that reflects ECU Health’s commitment to advancing brain tumor care for patients across eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Stuart Lee, chief of the division of Neurosurgery at ECU Health and medical director of The Gamma Knife Center at ECU Health Medical Center.
“For many of our patients, GammaTile® offers the advantage of receiving surgery and radiation treatment during a single hospitalization, helping reduce barriers to care and ensuring they can access advanced treatment closer to home. There are few centers in the country with this level of experience, and it reflects the expertise of our multidisciplinary team and our commitment to advancing the standard of care for patients with brain tumors.”
With the American Cancer Society estimating more than 24,000 malignant tumors of the brain or spinal cord diagnosed in 2026 across the United States, the need for timely access to advanced treatment options continues to grow.
ECU Health began offering GammaTile® therapy in 2019 and has steadily expanded its use, particularly for patients with metastatic brain tumors requiring surgery. The treatment involves placing small, bioabsorbable collagen tiles embedded with radiation sources directly into the tumor cavity at the time of surgery, allowing for immediate, localized radiation therapy. Unlike traditional approaches, which often require patients to return weeks after surgery for radiation treatment, GammaTile® delivers therapy at the time of tumor removal, eliminating delays and reducing the risk of missed or postponed follow-up care.
“For patients across eastern North Carolina, this milestone means greater access to advanced cancer treatment close to home,” said Jay Briley, president, ECU Health Medical Center. “By bringing these cutting-edge treatments to our region, we can provide the specialized care patients need without requiring them to travel far from their homes and support systems. This achievement reflects ECU Health’s ongoing commitment to innovation and reinforces our role as a regional leader in delivering specialized care.”
In early 2026, ECU Health earned GammaTile® Center of Excellence Program designation from GT Medical Technologies, recognizing the organization’s clinical expertise, patient education and commitment to improving outcomes for patients with operable brain tumors.
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health Medical Center was one of 32 institutions across the nation to participate in the national ROADS (Randomized Controlled Trial of Resection Surgery and GammaTile® versus Standard of Care) clinical trial, a randomized study investigating how GammaTile® therapy compares to the traditional standard of care for patients in treatment for newly diagnosed, operable metastatic brain tumors.
The study, conducted by GT Medical Technologies, determined that GammaTile® therapy, which ECU Health began offering in 2019, can significantly lower rates of tumor regrowth in those patients and improve overall survival rates compared to traditional treatment, which consists of surgery and recovery before patients undergo stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT), a form of targeted radiosurgery, at the tumor site.
“The results of the ROADS clinical trial are very encouraging,” said Dr. Stuart Lee, chief, division of neurosurgery, ECU Health, and medical director of The Gamma Knife Center, ECU Health Medical Center. “Patients who underwent surgery with GammaTile® saw dramatically lower rates of tumor bed recurrence and significantly improved overall survival compared to patients who had surgery followed by radiosurgery four weeks after their operation. We are proud to participate in this important clinical study which affirms ECU Health’s commitment to providing the highest level of care close to home.”
ECU Health earned GammaTile® Center of Excellence Program designation from GT Medical Technologies in early 2026. The designation honors institutions that demonstrate outstanding clinical skill, patient education and commitment to improving outcomes for patients with operable brain tumors. On May 21, 2026, ECU Health celebrated treating its 100th GammaTile® patient. ECU Health is one of six GammaTile® treatment centers in North Carolina and was one of the first adopters of the technology in the eastern United States.
GammaTile® involves placing small, bioabsorbable collagen tiles embedded with radiation sources directly into the tumor cavity at the time of surgery, allowing for immediate, localized radiation therapy. The study indicated patients who received GammaTile® therapy experienced significantly lower rates of tumor regrowth, a greater likelihood of living longer without the tumor recurring and better overall survival compared to patients who received standard SRT.
“Clinical trials like ROADS give ECU Health the data we need to determine how we can offer the best possible care for patients in eastern North Carolina and a chance to share that data with other health systems across the nation,” said Jay Briley, president, ECU Health Medical Center. “Our participation in this trial reflects our commitment to leading the way in cancer care as a top performer nationwide and one of the few institutions with this capability in the state.”
Lindsay Dunning has been a patient access representative with ECU Health Neurosurgery for 13 years. She was drawn to her role in part because of her own diagnosis of scoliosis as a child, an experience that she said helps her connect with the patients she serves every day.
“I see patients come in and they’re worried, and I tell them I understand where they’re coming from and it’ll be okay,” Dunning said.
The Robersonville native never expected she would help her husband during a time of medical crisis, however.
“It was a Monday night in June 2022, and I was up feeding our four-week-old,” Dunning shared. “My husband Jeff had just put our four-year-old to bed and came in complaining his chest hurt. He said he didn’t feel right. Even though he didn’t have a history of heart issues, I said right then we were going to the ED.”
That decision, in part, saved her husband’s life.
“The doctors told him he’d had a heart attack, and they were going to do a heart catheterization immediately,” she said. “I had gone home to get our older child to school, and by the time I got back to the hospital, five doctors came into his room and told him he needed a triple bypass.”
An unexpected diagnosis
This news caught Lindsay and Jeff, who was only 38 at the time, by surprise.
“Jeff broke down; he didn’t know what to do,” Lindsay said. “He was going to have to miss work. We had an infant and a small child at home, and my mother had recently died. On top of that, my sister-in-law had just had her baby at 27 weeks, and our niece was in the NICU. We had a lot going on.”
Thankfully, Lindsay’s mother-in-law was there to help watch the kids while Jeff underwent surgery. Dr. Michael Bates rearranged his schedule so he could perform the surgery before he went out on vacation.
“Dr. Bates came in the morning of surgery and it was like he’d known us our whole lives,” Lindsay said. “He gave me a hug and said everything was going to be okay. You just felt his confidence about how things would go.”
“He needed three bypasses and we did all three with arteries instead of veins,” Dr. Bates shared.
“Arterial bypasses last longer and improve survival, and we routinely do that here at ECU Health for younger patients. Our rate of multi-arterial bypass is two times the national average and is a marker for high-performing cardiac surgery programs.”
The road to recovery
During Jeff’s 11-day hospital stay, Lindsay said he received great care, right down to one of the volunteers who regularly took him for a walk in the halls. Jeff also participated in cardiac rehab, but he was determined to recover as quickly as possible and walked a mile every morning.
“Jeff works with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, so he wanted to get back to work as soon as possible,” Lindsay said.
Once he returned home, Jeff still required some assistance, and Lindsay had her hands full with two small children. Thankfully, she said, their community of family, friends and co-workers chipped in by establishing a meal train, taking Jeff out for rides, calling and texting and mowing their lawn.
Jeff went back to work that August, and his annual cardiology follow-up appointments show everything is working as it should. Lindsay said that Jeff tells her regularly, “You saved my life!” She’s pretty humble about that, but she is quick to thank Dr. Bates and God for his quick and skilled intervention.
“The Heart Center is top notch, and we are so thankful for the care we received and for Dr. Bates,” she said. “He told us that Jeff’s condition was a ‘ticking time bomb,’ but he expects this bypass to last Jeff a lifetime.”
Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health Beaufort Hospital – a campus of ECU Health Medical Center now offers the MISHA Knee System for patients suffering from medial knee osteoarthritis. The MISHA Knee System is designed to reduce the daily physical toll on the knee joint, offer rapid pain relief and preserve patients’ natural anatomy.
“The MISHA Knee System fundamentally changes how we can support patients living with medial knee osteoarthritis by giving them a joint preserving option that delivers real, measurable relief,” said Dr. Dimitri M. Thomas, orthopedic surgeon, ECU Health Beaufort Hospital. “For many people who want to stay active but aren’t ready for a knee replacement, this approach fills a longstanding gap in treatment options. It’s exciting to bring this level of innovation to our community and help patients regain comfort, confidence and mobility.”
Knee osteoarthritis affects more than 15 million Americans and can make everyday activities painful and difficult. Non-surgical treatments such as medications, injections or physical therapy sometimes do not provide relief, and they are often left with ongoing pain and limited mobility. The MISHA Knee System is a less-invasive approach designed to reduce knee pain and help patients return to the activities they enjoy by reducing the peak forces on painful knee joints while walking, running or simply standing. No removal of bone, cartilage or ligament is required.
“ECU Health Beaufort Hospital is committed to ensuring that patients in our region can access advanced, patient centered solutions close to home, and the MISHA Knee System is a powerful example of that commitment,” said Dennis Campbell II, DHA, RN, president, ECU Health Beaufort Hospital. “By offering this innovative treatment locally, patients do not have to travel long distances to receive cutting edge orthopedic care or to find relief earlier in their treatment journey. We are proud to expand access to high quality options that help people stay active, remain in their communities and maintain their quality of life.”
The procedure is covered by Medicare. For those interested in learning more, please contact ECU Health Orthopedics – Washington at 252-946-6513.
Greenville, NC – Dr. Warqaa Akram, colorectal surgeon with ECU Health Cancer Care, became the first surgeon in North Carolina to perform colorectal procedures using the da Vinci Single Port (SP) robotic platform. Dr. Akram completed the state’s first two single port colorectal surgeries on March 16, 2026, at ECU Health Medical Center.
The da Vinci SP system allows surgeons to perform complex colorectal procedures through a single small incision — which may be hidden in the belly button or along the waistline — rather than multiple incisions required in traditional minimally invasive surgery. Because the incision also serves as the extraction site, patients experience a single incision operation.
Dr. Warqaa Akram
“This platform opens a new chapter in colorectal surgery, allowing us to offer patients advanced, minimally invasive care through a single small incision,” said Dr. Akram. “With improved visualization and greater precision, we can preserve healthy tissue and offer a less invasive option – tailored to each patient – for both cancerous and non cancerous conditions. Integrating this technology into ECU Health’s surgical oncology program further enhances our ability to deliver advanced, high quality surgical care close to home for the communities we serve.”
The da Vinci SP system provides enhanced visualization and access to angles previously difficult to reach. This allows surgeons to address polyps and tumors higher in the rectum that were difficult to treat in the past. ECU Health will use the SP platform for a wide range of colorectal procedures, including colon and rectal cancer resections, partial and total colectomies, surgery for inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis surgery, rectal prolapse repair ostomy reversals and minimally invasive resections for select benign or early rectal tumors.
“Being able to offer this technology means patients in eastern North Carolina can receive advanced colorectal care close to home,” said Jay Briley, president of ECU Health Medical Center. “We are proud to be the first institution in the state to perform this single‑port robotic colorectal surgery, expanding access to innovative, minimally invasive treatment options. This milestone reflects our commitment to ensuring patients in our region don’t have to travel long distances to receive the highest level of care.”
ECU Health team members that were part of the new procedure include: Warqaa Akram, MD, FACS, Jennifer Bryant, RN, Paula Boyd, surgical technologist, and Smith Accius, surgical first assist.
Greenville, NC – The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently awarded ECU Health Medical Center Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence for 2025. This national honor recognizes units that demonstrate exceptional patient care, outstanding outcomes and a commitment to creating and sustaining healthy work environments.
“Earning the Beacon Award for Excellence is a powerful reflection of the dedication our Surgical Intensive Care Unit nursing team brings to patients every single day,” said Trish Baise, chief nursing executive, ECU Health. “This recognition affirms ECU Health’s commitment to evidence based practice, teamwork and a healthy work environment that allows exceptional care to thrive. I am incredibly proud of this team and the standard of excellence they continue to set for our organization and for eastern North Carolina.”
The ECU Health Medical Center SICU is a 24-bed unit that provides support for nearly 900 critically ill surgical and trauma patients per year and is a crucial part of ECU Health Medical Center as a Level I Trauma Center. The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve unit outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. These include the overall health of the work environment, better nurse staffing and retention, less morale distress and lower rates of workplace violence. Units that earn this annual award meet specific criteria established by AACN that represent the characteristics and components of the unit environment that nurses can influence to achieve nursing excellence.
“This achievement reflects the extraordinary skill, compassion and resilience our SICU nurses bring to the bedside every day,” said Tara Stroud, chief nursing officer, ECU Health Medical Center. “The Beacon Award underscores ECU Health nurses’ unwavering commitment to delivering safe, evidence-based care in an environment where teamwork and professional growth truly thrive. Their focus on continuous improvement directly elevates the experience and outcomes of the patients we serve.”
Beacon-awarded units distinguish themselves by excelling in various areas demonstrated in their application. Through participation in the Beacon Award program, units can compare and reflect on their performance compared to global applicants. According to AACN, all awardees demonstrate dynamic and outstanding performance in the areas of patient outcomes, nursing workforce and work environment.
“The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in outstanding units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes,” said AACN President Rebekah Marsh, BSN, RN, CCRN. “Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care.”
Harmony Ward is a first-year undergraduate student at East Carolina University with a lifelong dream of one day becoming a nurse. It is a dream she almost had to put on pause as she instead found herself needing the very care she always hoped to provide.
Ward was just 17 years old when she started experiencing symptoms like dizziness and headaches. Then, her care team informed her of a terrifying discovery: a large tumor in her chest, wrapped around vital blood vessels near her spine and neck.
“I wasn’t really having symptoms from feeling the tumor,” Ward said. “I was having symptoms for another medical thing I have going on, which was diagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS). I had an MRI done as part of my MS diagnosis, and that’s where they found the tumor.”
The diagnosis came as a shock. Not only was Ward grappling with MS, but she now faced a complex and potentially dangerous mass.
Dr. Robert Allman, a cardiothoracic surgeon at ECU Health and assistant professor of thoracic and foregut surgery at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU, was called in to evaluate the case. According to Dr. Allman, the tumor was a large mediastinal mass that extended into her neck and was wrapped around her subclavian artery. These tumors are rare and affect less than one percent of the population.
“Traditionally, removing something like that would require a very invasive surgery like splitting the breastbone, maybe even breaking the clavicle,” said Dr. Allman.
However, thanks to ECU Health’s advanced robotic surgery program, Dr. Allman was able to perform the procedure using minimally invasive robotic surgery.
“Harmony essentially just had to have four small incisions through her rib spaces because of the minimally invasive approach,” Dr. Allman said. “She was able to leave the hospital in two days. The pain benefit is enormous, and the recovery time and infection risks are significantly reduced.”
The timing could not have been more critical. Ward was just a month away from her high school graduation – a milestone she feared she might miss.
“I was very worried at first that I wouldn’t be able to make it to graduation,” she said. “But they said I would be healed in time. I actually got my stitches removed the day of my graduation so I could put on my dress and everything. It was a very emotional time.”
Dr. Allman remembers Ward not just for her medical case, but for her character.
“She’s very kind, very smart, very hardworking,” he said. “She really put her trust in us. We took our time to make sure she understood everything, and I’m just really happy we were able to help her this way. It allows her to pursue what she wants to do now.”
For Ward, the experience was both terrifying and transformative.
“This was the first time I’ve ever been in a hospital or had any surgeries, so it was very scary,” she said. “All of my medical problems hit me at once. I was going through the MS diagnosis and the tumor at the same time. I was just very worried, but Dr. Allman and his nurses, his team and my neurologist dealing with my MS were all very helpful and supportive and very calming.”
As Ward embarks on her journey toward one day becoming the nurse she’s always dreamed of, it is the perspective she gained as a patient that will guide her.
“I’ve always wanted to be a nurse to be able to help and take care of people,” said Ward. “This experience gave me a new perspective I can bring with me.”
Ruth McCorkle spent years traveling around the world during retirement on solo trips and trips with friends. In September 2023, her traveling was put on pause when unexpectedly learned she had serious kidney issue. Within days, she was placed on peritoneal dialysis (PD), which meant being hooked to a machine every night.
“I was kind of trapped to my machine every night,” said McCorkle. “I have been a traveler during my corporate career and since I retired, and I really enjoyed traveling with friends and by myself. Given that I went through a box of fluid every night, which is about two and a half gallons of fluid, it was logistically a nightmare.”
At age 74, sitting at home for dialysis each night was not how she envisioned her golden years.
“I’m cognizant that I have fewer years left to me than I have already lived, but that I come from a sturdy and long-living matriarchal line. I may have 20 more years, and I want to make the best of them,” said McCorkle. “Sitting home, waiting for my time to hook up to the machine is not making the best use of my life. Even with PD, my energy lagged, and I felt like I was in a fog most of the time. I was just staying alive, not really living.”
McCorkle was placed on the kidney transplant list.
After a year and a half on dialysis and two false-alarm calls as a transplant backup, her life changed again, this time for the better. One morning, she got the call: a kidney was available.
“They called at 11 a.m. and asked if I could be there by 2 p.m.,” McCorkle said. “I called my son, and he was all excited. My grandkids got all excited. And when I woke up the next morning, I had a new kidney.”
It was only fitting that McCorkle, who loves travelling, was given a new lease on life thanks to commercial aviation. The kidney arrived on a commercial flight from New York, thanks to LiveOnNY, transported in a LifePort Kidney Transporter, a specialized device that pumps a cold liquid solution to improve the organ’s condition prior to transplant. Unlike traditional methods, where kidneys are typically transported on ice in coolers, the LifePort Kidney Transporter offers active preservation and monitoring, potentially doubling storage time and increasing the number of viable organs available for patients. The LifePort Kidney Transporter also supplies data to assess kidney function throughout the transport.
“Using commercial flights with advanced preservation technology opens doors to more donor organs that might otherwise go unused,” said Dr. David Leeser, professor and chief of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. “It expands the donor pool and gives patients greater hope.”
McCorkle is now feeling much better, and while she’s still recovering and building her stamina back up, she is back to planning future adventures. McCorkle had to cancel a solo trip to Portugal when she began dialysis, but she’s already planning a new one for the fall and a trip to see her family in the Midwest.
McCorkle is grateful to her donor, the care teams and technology that helped her receive a new kidney at 74.
“We take pride in the impact we make on patients’ lives through kidney transplantation,” said Dr. Leeser. “Each organ represents a second chance, and it is our responsibility to ensure every opportunity is honored. We are deeply grateful to the donor and their family for their extraordinary generosity and to LiveOnNY for going above and beyond to help deliver this life-saving kidney to our patient.”
For more information the organ transplant program at ECU Health, please visit ECUHealth.org/Transplant.