The Medical Center at Bowling Green Invests in State-of-the-Art Lung Biopsy Technology
The Medical Center at Bowling Green announces its acquisition of the Ion Robotic Navigational Bronchoscopy. This state-of-the-art technology takes a minimally-invasive peripheral lung biopsy using robotic-assisted technology. The Medical Center Pulmonology staff will use the Intuitive Surgical Ion endoluminal system to help perform these procedures.
This major medical advancement offers doctors unprecedented stability and precision, addressing a challenging aspect of lung biopsy by enabling physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung, thus detecting earlier stages of lung cancer.
“Ion’s shape sensing technology is unique,” said Dr. Karan Singh, pulmonologist at The Medical Center. “The lungs are constantly moving, creating a critical need for precision and control during bronchoscopic procedures. This platform’s use of shape-sensing technology helps physicians answer this need. This procedure will help pulmonologists at The Medical Center be more accurate when biopsying lung nodules and will also allow us to be able to biopsy smaller nodules than before.”
This system represents an advancement in minimally invasive robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedures that provides surgeons the stability and precision needed for biopsy.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality both in men and women in the USA,” said Dr. Singh. “Early detection improves mortality. More than 70% of all lung cancer nodules are located in the outer one-third of the lung, an area full of tight spaces and narrow airways that may be hard to reach. With this new technology, we will be able to reach these areas and be able to establish an early diagnosis.”
The Medical Center is proud to invest in this state-of-the-art technology to deliver life-enhancing care to our patients. The Medical Center at Bowling Green will now be using this new technology.
“I am excited about my ability to be able to detect cancer earlier, at a stage when it is still curable, and to be able to establish the diagnosis in a minimally-invasive way with the least amount of pain and discomfort to my patients,” said Dr. Singh.
Ion is built on Intuitive’s more than two decades of leadership in robotic-assisted technology. The Medical Center has chosen the Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system because it provides more reach, more stability, and more precision compared to manual techniques, allowing us to address a challenging aspect of lung biopsy.
For more information on the Ion Robotic Navigational Bronchoscopy, and on The Medical Center’s Pulmonology care, please visit: medcenterhealth.org/lung/
