In October, surgeon Stephen Chagares, MD, FACS, announced the successful completion of two mastectomies using a robotic assisted surgical system. Entering the surgical site through a small incision on the patient’s side in each case, Chagares removed existing breast tissue and replaced it with an implant. It was touted as a breakthrough.

“Robotic mastectomy, with immediate reconstruction, opens the door to a new era of mastectomy and a new outlook for patients who are candidates, offering a modern approach to an operation that has been so physically, emotionally, and psychologically scarring is remarkable,” Chagares said in a statement.

Two months later, one of the hospitals where Chagares has privileges — and where he performed the procedure on a female patient — has prohibited the surgeon from repeating it, at least for now.

Leaders at Monmouth Medical Center, located in Long Branch, New Jersey, cited patient safety as the concern. In a statement, they suggested the procedure needs further review.

A physician performs robotic assisting surgery with a da Vinci. (Image credit: Army Medicine)