Retired Iowa nurse credits Pilates and new 3D technology for saving her lung

Tonni on yoga mat

CHICAGO – October 20, 2025 – Tonni Richard of LeClaire, Iowa, spent her entire career caring for others. The 65-year-old was an army nurse for 20 years, before working as a visiting nurse, then in hospice care and orthopaedics. After retiring from the profession she loved, Richard found a new passion — Pilates — and credits the workout for shedding light on a recent cancer diagnosis in her lung.

“I started having muscle spasms on the right side of my back during Pilates classes. When the symptoms didn’t go away, I underwent a CT scan at a local hospital where they discovered a neuroendocrine tumor on my lower right lung,” said Richard. “The thoracic surgeon told me they'd need to remove the entire lower lobe of my lung which would cause me to lose 20% of my oxygen capacity. After the appointment, my husband and I agreed — there had to be a better option.”

Richard searched the Internet for a “lung preservation specialist” and found Kalvin Lung, MD, a thoracic surgeon at the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute in Chicago, who specializes in removing less lung tissue during surgery to preserve lung function and improve the quality of life for patients. 

3D model of Tonni's tumor

From CT scan to surgical console: new 3D technology helps save lung

Using new state-of-the-art technology, Dr. Lung was able to convert Richard's CT scan into a 3D model that was integrated directly into the console of the da Vinci 5 surgical robot. The technology confirmed it was possible to perform a rare procedure for Richard without compromising cancer outcomes.

Previously, surgeons could only view 3D images of tumors on their phone or laptop, causing them to have to look away from the console during surgery to study the images. With the new technology, the 3D model now appears inside the console, so thoracic surgeons can look at it in real time as they operate with the robot. This allows surgeons to operate deeper into the lung without the risk of damaging the lung that is not removed.

On September 30, Richard was the first lung surgery patient to undergo a procedure with the new 3D model at Northwestern Medicine.

“When a normal CT scan is performed, it doesn’t give us all the details of the lung’s anatomy. For example, it’s kind of like looking at ‘Google Earth’ from far away — you can see the state of Iowa, but you can’t make out any cities,” explained Dr. Lung. “When we’re sitting at the robot with this new 3D technology, it provides us with remarkable precision, allowing us to remove the tumor while saving most of the lung. In Tonni’s case, her tumor was in a segment of the lung where surgery isn’t commonly done, and that’s why the 3D technology was so instrumental.”

Dr. Lung at the robot console

Thanks to the new technology, Dr. Lung was able to remove Richard's tumor and only 5% of her lung. 

“I’m so lucky to have found the tumor when I did, and even more lucky to have found Dr. Lung at Northwestern Medicine who helped preserve my lung and my oxygen capacity,” said Richard. “I hope my story encourages others to seek a second opinion when they aren’t satisfied with the answer, and to undergo annual lung cancer screenings if they qualify."

Importance of lung cancer screenings

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, accounting for one in five of all cancer deaths. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual lung cancer screenings in adults ages 50-80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.

The Canning Thoracic Institute has pioneered several transformative minimally invasive thoracic procedures such as the A-PLUS program for lung cancer, robotic SAINT program for advanced stage lung cancer, the robotic PREMIER program for esophageal cancer, and the robotic lung volume reduction surgery for emphysema. The pulmonology and lung surgery program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is proud to be the highest-ranked in Illinois for 14 straight years and No. 7 in the U.S.

For more information, visit nm.org/pulmonary or call 312-695-1800.