Tatsuo Ohira
Papers
8
Total Citations
105
H-Index
7
About
Tatsuo Ohira is a pioneering thoracic surgeon whose research has significantly advanced the adoption and optimization of robotic surgery in Japan. His work centers on robot-assisted thoracic surgery, with particular focus on mediastinal tumor treatment, surgical training methodologies, and the health economics of emerging surgical technologies. Ohira's most impactful contribution — his 2012 study on extended indications for robotic treatment of posterior mediastinal tumors (32 citations) — helped establish the clinical boundaries of the da Vinci Surgical System in thoracic applications. Alongside his 2011 early experience report, this work collectively laid foundational evidence for robotic thoracic procedures in Japan at a time when fewer than 15 institutions in the country were utilizing robotic systems. His training protocol for robotic pneumonectomy using animal models addressed a critical gap in Japan's surgical education landscape. Beyond clinical outcomes, Ohira has made notable contributions to surgical economics, repeatedly examining cost-benefit performance of robotic versus video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery under Japan's National Health Insurance System — research with direct policy implications. An early outlier paper from 1995 on interspecies communication in artificial organisms hints at an intellectually versatile career spanning computational and biomedical domains.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Extended indications for robotic surgery for posterior mediastinal tumors32 citations · 2012
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- 8Maximizing Use of Robot-Arm No. 3 in Da Vinci–Assisted Thoracic Surgery2 citations · 2015