Patients Get Top-of-the-Line Gynecologic Surgery at Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute

Many general obstetrician-gynecologists perform five to 10 gynecologic surgeries per year. M. Bijoy Thomas, MD, Chief, Gynecologic Oncology at Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, averages 15 to 18 robotic gynecologic surgeries per week, ranking among the highest-volume surgical practices nationally in his specialty.

Thomas is a Mayo Clinic-trained, double board certified gynecologic oncologist who has been practicing since 2006. Thomas performs surgeries for gynecologic cancers as well as complex benign gynecologic conditions. For approximately 95 percent of these procedures, he uses Lehigh Valley Health Network's state-of-the-art robotic technology. Recently, he surpassed 2,500 robot-assisted surgical cases over the course of his career. If experience is the best teacher, Thomas is undeniably a master of his craft. 

“A high-volume surgeon can navigate through the complexities of the surgery in a safe manner,” Thomas says. “There is always a learning curve. As you do more surgeries, you get better at what you are doing. The time that patients spend under anesthesia becomes significantly shorter, surgical complications are less likely, and patients recuperate faster.”

Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) Gynecologic Oncology offers a comprehensive program to meet all types of gynecologic surgical needs, both for cancerous and benign conditions. In addition to Thomas, the program includes Christine Kim, MD, who sees patients at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Pocono and LVH–Hecktown Oaks

For a patient who has just been diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer or whose life is being disrupted by gynecologic symptoms, a lengthy wait time for treatment can be agonizing. Timely access to care is a high priority for the LVPG Gynecologic Oncology team.

“At the Cancer Institute, we see new patients at my office within a week, and the average wait time for surgery is two weeks or less,” Thomas says. “I have an excellent team of compassionate and competent nurse practitioners and nurses who stay in frequent touch with patients, making sure they are well cared for and all questions answered prior to and after surgery.”

Among the procedures that Thomas performs are:

• All types of gynecologic oncology surgeries and complex noncancerous gynecologic surgeries
• Robotic and open surgeries for both cancerous and noncancerous gynecologic conditions
• Hysterectomies for both cancerous and noncancerous gynecologic conditions
• Endometriosis resections, which may be complicated by extensive pelvic scarring and/or bladder and bowel involvement
• Removal of large uterine fibroids (myomectomy), with uterine reconstruction
• Gynecologic surgery for higher-risk surgical patients, such as those with a high body mass index or multiple medical comorbidities
• Combined complex surgeries in collaboration with other surgeons when patients have more than one surgical problem that needs to be addressed at the same time

“Robotic surgery is a major upgrade from standard laparoscopic surgery,” Thomas says.

He uses the analogy of comparing the difference between iPhone 1 and iPhone 13. Robotic technology affords surgeons highly magnified, three-dimensional views with true depth perception. Bleeding can be controlled at the capillary level, leading to negligible blood loss and minimal trauma. The wristed instruments allow for superior dexterity.

The result is typically same-day surgery with minimal trauma and minimal need for postoperative narcotics. The median recovery time for patients is two weeks.

“Patients who need complex, minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries can find care comparable to any premier medical institute in the world without leaving the Lehigh Valley,” Thomas says.

The Cancer Institute is a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance, which gives women with gynecologic cancer access to even more lifesaving care options.