Peripheral lung biopsy can now be performed with robotic-assisted technology,
utilizing the Intuitive Ion endoluminal system. 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.
Approximately 75% of lung cancers are diagnosed in an advanced stage. And
around 70% of cancerous lung nodules are found in the outer third of the
lung, an area that is challenging to reach and diagnose.
Enhancing - not replacing - your surgeon's capabilities
During bronchoscopy with the Ion, the ultra-thin, easily maneuverable catheter
can move 180 degrees in all directions, making a biopsy of a mass easier.
The equipment allows doctors to navigate along a planned path through
small and tortuous airways to reach nodules in any airway segment within
the lung. The robot’s flexible biopsy needle can also pass through
very tight bends via the catheter to collect tissue, enabling a more precise
biopsy and easier experience for patients.
Typically if a physician finds a suspicious spot on the lung, commonly
called a small mass or nodule, he or she may recommend that it be checked
out further. This test is called a lung biopsy.
Biopsy involves obtaining a tissue sample from the suspicious area and
examining the cells under a microscope to determine if cancer or another
disease is present. There are a number of ways to obtain tissue for biopsy.
The biopsy approach your doctor will recommend depends on the size of
the nodule, the location within the lung and your overall health. Fewer
than 5% of nodules are actually cancer, but your doctor may recommend
this to make sure.
Ion is built on more than two decades of leadership in robotic-assisted
technology by Intuitive, the maker of the da Vinci surgical system. The
Ion endoluminal system allows for more precision, more reach, more stability—
and more answers.
For more information about robotic-assisted lung biopsy, call
337.494.2750.
