How Robotic Microsurgery is Transforming Life After Breast Cancer
October 15, 2025
For thousands of cancer survivors, winning the battle against the disease is only the beginning of a new, lifelong challenge: lymphedema. After treatments such as lymph node removal or radiation, many are left with a constant reminder of their fight – a painful, persistent swelling in an arm or leg.
This condition, caused by a blockage in the body’s lymphatic system, affects as many as one in five breast cancer survivors. It’s more than a cosmetic issue. Lymphedema can limit mobility, cause discomfort and often requires wearing tight compression sleeves for life. Up to recently, reliable treatment options have been limited.
At Hackensack University Medical Center, that’s changing. Hope has a new home in New Jersey.
A Survivor’s 30-Year Wait for Relief
For nearly 30 years, Nora Ambros lived with a painful reminder of her first battle with breast cancer. Diagnosed with stage-three cancer in her left breast in 1996, she underwent a mastectomy and became one of the first patients to have reconstructive surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center. While her treatment saved her life, it left her with severe lymphedema in her left arm.
The swelling affected everything. Clothes didn’t fit, simple tasks became difficult, and she was constantly at risk for painful infections.
“It was a constant battle,” Nora recalls. “You survive cancer, and you are so grateful, but then you are left with this daily struggle that affects everything you do. I just learned to live with it, to hide it.”
Then, in 2025, life took another turn. A routine screening revealed breast cancer in her right breast. Thankfully, it was caught early. As she prepared for another mastectomy and reconstruction, she learned about something extraordinary – something that could finally free her from decades of pain and swelling.
Robotic Precision for the Most Delicate Surgery
Hackensack University Medical Center has become the first hospital in the state to acquire and use the Symani® Surgical System from MMI, a robotic microsurgery platform revolutionizing reconstructive care.
Treating lymphedema surgically requires connecting lymphatic vessels – often thinner than a strand of hair – to nearby veins, creating a new pathway for trapped fluid to drain. It’s one of the most delicate procedures imaginable. Even the steadiest hands can tremble when working at such a microscopic scale.
That’s where the Symani system makes all the difference. The surgeon, seated at a console, controls robotic arms that filter out any tremor and scale down every movement. The result is unprecedented precision and stability.
“Lymphedema surgery is the ultimate test of a microsurgeon’s skill,” explains Richard M. Winters, M.D., Chair of Plastic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center. “We are working on structures that are barely visible to the naked eye. The Symani system gives us unprecedented stability and precision. It allows us to perform these complex lymphatic repairs with a higher degree of confidence and success, offering patients a real chance to reduce their swelling and, in some cases, eliminate the need for lifelong compression garments.”
A Pioneer Patient
While undergoing treatment for her right breast, Nora learned she was an ideal candidate for the new procedure to finally address her lymphedema. She became the very first patient to undergo robotic lymphovenous bypass surgery at Hackensack, performed by Robert Van, M.D.
The procedure required just a few incisions, each less than two inches long. “The next day, I was back to work,” Nora says. Two months later, she could hardly believe her results. “My arm is significantly smaller. For the first time in decades, I’m wearing short sleeves and I don’t feel like I have to hide. It’s a freedom I thought I’d never have again.”
She’s already living with less pain and more confidence. “To think that I might not have to worry about getting an infection every time I work in the garden, or that I can go to the store without a second thought… it’s life-changing.”
Precision Beyond Lymphedema
For years, patients who needed advanced reconstructive or microsurgery often had to travel out of state for care. With the Symani Surgical System, that’s no longer necessary. Hackensack University Medical Center – ranked the #1 hospital in New Jersey and a Top 20 hospital nationally by U.S. News & World Report – now offers world-class robotic precision close to home.
“The Symani system is a game-changer for reconstructive surgery,” says Dr. Winters. “It takes what we can do with our hands and elevates it to a level of precision that was previously unimaginable. When you are working on a vessel that is less than a millimeter wide, every tiny movement counts.”
The robotic system is housed in Hackensack’s Helena Theurer Pavilion, a nine-story surgical tower where leading surgeons use next-generation technologies to redefine what’s possible in patient outcomes.
An Investment in Survivorship
The hospital’s leadership made this major investment with a clear understanding of its impact on cancer survivors. For patients like Nora, it’s about more than reducing swelling – it’s about reclaiming quality of life.
“Our commitment to our patients extends far beyond their initial treatment,’ says Dr. Winters. “It’s about helping them live full, healthy lives in survivorship. Our community members who have bravely battled cancer now have access to a world-class, life-altering procedure right here at home. At Hackensack University Medical Center, we are proud to be the home to many fellowship-trained microsurgeons with a broad range of subspecialty interests in treating lymphedema and many other complex conditions amenable to microsurgical techniques which are now enhanced by our robotic technology.”
For countless New Jersey residents living with lymphedema, the future is suddenly brighter. The path to relief no longer requires crossing a bridge – it leads right to Hackensack Meridian Health, where technology and compassion meet, one microscopic stitch at a time.
Next Steps & Resources:
- Meet our sources: Richard M. Winters, M.D. and Robert Van, M.D.
- Learn more about advanced robotic microsurgery for lymphedema at Hackensack Meridian Health.
The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.
