Dr. Diego González Rivas

Dr. González Rivas became the first surgeon in the world to perform single-port VATS anatomical resections (firstly in June 2010). The single-port VATS surgical technique is pioneering at world level, since it enables the removal of more complex tumours through a single incision. With over 15 years’ experience, Dr. González Rivas is also a pioneer in performing major single-port lung surgery in patients without intubation and with spontaneous breathing (firstly in April 2014), and he is also a pioneer in performing single-port resections using an articulated robotic arm, without the need of an assistant (firstly in 2016). 

Professional Experience 

• Creator of the Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Unit (UCTMI) at Quirónsalud A Coruña Hospital. He also works at San Rafael Hospital and at HM Modelo Medical Centre. 

• Creator and current Director of the single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery training programme at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, China (the largest thoracic centre in the world with 10,390 major lung resections performed in 2016 alone). 

• Specialist in Thoracic Surgery at A Coruña University Hospital Complex (2005-present). Member of the lung transplantation programme (one of the largest in Spain, with 40-45 cases each year). 

• Thoracic Surgery Department at Santiago de Compostela University Hospital Complex (2004-2005). 

• Resident Doctor in Thoracic Surgery at A Coruña University Hospital Complex (1999-2004). 

Membership Scientific Societies 

Coordinator of the Congress Committee of the Spanish Association of Thoracic Surgery (SECT) between 2014-2017. 

He contributes to the educational activities of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS). 

He has held the qualification of the European Board of Thoracic Surgery (EBTS) from the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) since 2010. 

He is a member of several scientific societies, with whom he collaborates every year, including the prestigious American Association of Thoracic Surgery (AATS), where he was elected the youngest member of the society in 2016.