Robotic Lung Biopsy

Robotic Precision: A New Era in Early Lung Cancer Diagnosis at Lee Health

In the battle against lung cancer, every moment counts. That's why Lee Health proudly brings you the groundbreaking Intuitive ION™ robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform. For healthcare providers aiming for earlier and more precise diagnoses and patients desiring an answer through a minimally invasive procedure with quicker recovery times—the ION™ system is a collective leap forward in changing the landscape of early lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.

How Our Advanced System Works

The ION™ robot is an innovative tool that extends the capabilities of our skilled physicians. Operated from a console next to the patient, this technology uses sophisticated software to analyze the prior CT scan and plot a direct route to any suspicious tissue within the lungs. The result? Quicker procedures minimized discomfort and enhanced accuracy.

Why Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy?

Diagnosing lung cancer usually begins with a low-dose CT scan. When that scan reveals abnormal tissue growth, the next step is often a biopsy—a procedure that many find daunting. That's where the ION™ platform comes in. Our cutting-edge technology provides a minimally invasive approach with unparalleled precision, reducing the physical and emotional stress associated with traditional methods

Intuitive Ion System

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Benefits of the ION™ robotic-assisted bronchoscopy vs. a CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy

Unmatched Precision: The ION’s advanced algorithms deliver pinpoint accuracy, ensuring that we, the physicians, get right into the suspicious tissue safely and quickly.

Safe: The CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy is associated with a 20% risk of complications, requiring hospitalization and a second invasive procedure to treat the complication. In contrast, the lung biopsy assisted by ION has a significantly lower complication rate of less than 2%.

Comfort and Quick Recovery: Experience minimal discomfort, and 99% of the patients go home the same day with our ION™ robotic-assisted bronchoscopy.

Collaborative Care: Our Promise to You

Healthcare is a collaborative journey; we are honored to walk this path with you. By choosing Lee Health and the ION™ robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform, you're opting for a service that equally values medical precision and patient well-being. Together, let's revolutionize early lung cancer diagnosis and make a lasting impact on lives.

At Lee Health, we use state-of-the-art robotic surgical systems, which enable surgeons to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision.

A Breakthrough in Lung Cancer Detection with the ION Robotic Navigation Assisted Bronchoscopy

Lee Health’s Dr. Sunil Pammi said the ION robotic navigation assisted bronchoscopy is a game changer. “This is really a breakthrough technology for us.” A bronchospy is a procedure used to look for suspicious nodules in a patient’s lung, but the old manual way was limiting. “Sometimes it can be quite tedious, because you really don’t know for sure where you’re ending up. You’re only looking at 2 dimensions when you’re actually working at three. The results from that we’re pretty low sometimes in the range of 50 or 60% chance of getting to the lesion,” said Dr. Pammi.

Now, the ION robot takes a patient’s CAT scan image and turns it into a 3-D road map that doctors can use to find the lesion. “The computer system literally guides me through the airway. It’s with arrows, and I’m following the pathway of how to get to that lesion. It gives me right up to it and I can now do the biopsy that I need to do,” said Dr. Pammi.

The robot is smaller and more precise than the old way and it can get deeper into the lung. Doctors now have a high 90% rate of getting to the lesion. It also combines two procedures into one, by allowing doctors to look at the lymph nodes and stage patients. “From the screening time, to the time we can get the biopsy, to the time we get the treatment, we are trying to shorten that period of time. We know the faster we get to the treatment, the better the outcome is going to be,” said Dr. Pammi. You can learn more about our lung cancer screening program by searching for it on leehealth.org.

Understanding Your Lung Biopsy Journey

Lee Health is committed to a compassionate and clear patient experience that involves the best and most accurate diagnostic and treatment options reducing the need for multiple procedures. Starting with your initial screening your care team works together to deliver exceptional care throughout your lung cancer journey.

Learn More About Ion Endoluminal System

Ion Endoluminal System

Ion Endoluminal System from Intuitive provides minimally-invasive lung biopsies for patients to help detect lung cancer sooner. Lee Health provides robotic procedures in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Estero.

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