SARASOTA, Fla. (May 15, 2025) – Surgeons with Sarasota Memorial’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute are among a leading group of oncology specialists using a novel 3D imaging tool, powered by artificial intelligence, to develop the most precise surgical approaches and improve outcomes for their cancer patients.
M. Blair Marshall, MD, thoracic oncology surgeon with the Jellison Cancer Institute and a pioneer of 3D modeling, introduced Ceevra’s 3D surgical technology at Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) shortly after joining the health system’s First Physicians Group (FPG) in 2023. She was the first physician on Florida’s Gulf Coast using Ceevra’s 3D models to plan and perform surgery, and the outcomes she has achieved with her lung cancer patients is prompting more surgeons at SMH and across the nation to incorporate the technology into their practice.
"Ceevra's imaging technology is a transformative tool in the field of thoracic surgery, particularly in complex procedures like lung resection," Dr. Marshall said. "The 3D modeling allows me to better visualize the precise location of my patients' tumors and map out a surgical approach that removes the cancerous nodules and at-risk margins while preserving healthy tissue and ultimately lung function."
Aided by artificial intelligence, the Ceevra technology converts a patient’s standard black-and-white CT scan or MRI into an interactive, multi-color 3D digital image that provides surgeons with finer detail and a true 3D visualization before and during surgery.
"It is a powerful tool for patients too, making it possible for them to see their tumor in relation to blood vessels, airways and other important structures of the lung,” said Marshall.
"I can selectively hide or reveal anatomical structures, zoom in and out, and rotate the image in every direction, allowing them to see details that are simply not possible with 2-dimensional black and white CT or MRI scans. Many find it reassuring because it helps them better understand their condition and the surgical approach I am recommending."
The technology was approved by the FDA in 2018 for preoperative planning, patient counseling and intraoperative visualization in multiple specialties. Several multi-site, randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that Ceevra 3D images can lead to improved patient outcomes, including reduced operative time, shorter patient length of stay, reduced risk of cancer recurrence, and improved functional outcomes.
Marshall began pioneering the use of 3D surgical modeling 15 years ago and began using the Ceevra technology in 2023 when she was serving as the Bell Family chair for innovation at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and working as a surgeon at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School.
In addition to Marshall, Paul Vesco, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon with FPG and member of the Jellison Cancer Institute, also is using the 3D technology for lung cancer surgery at SMH. Other Jellison Cancer Institute surgeons preparing to use the technology include FPG urologic surgeons Robert Carey, MD, and Daniel Kaplon, MD, and FPG gastrointestinal oncology/hepatobiliary surgeons Pedro Briceno, MD, and Ken Meredith, MD.
About the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute at Sarasota Memorial
The Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute is a center of excellence that provides advanced cancer care across the entire continuum— from prevention, screening and diagnosis to advanced treatments, clinical trials and survivorship support. The Cancer Institute's world-class facilities include an 8-story oncology inpatient and surgical tower that opened on the Sarasota hospital campus in 2021, a Radiation Oncology Center that opened on the University Parkway outpatient campus in 2020, and a new Cancer Pavilion with a full slate of outpatient services slated to open in late 2025. Learn more at smh.com/cancer.