Northside Hospital Cherokee celebrated a milestone on Feb. 20 as it completed its 100th robotic-assisted bronchoscopy. The interventional pulmonology team began using this advanced technology in collaboration with the hospital’s Lung Nodule Clinic a year ago.
What they’re saying: Dr. Spencer Lee, pulmonologist, who conducted the landmark 100th case, emphasized the tangible impact the technology has had on patients' lives. “We wanted to provide our community a minimally invasive, accurate procedure to diagnose a variety of lung conditions and having this technology has really shown to do that in a truly remarkable way.”
- Dr. Jose Antony Paul, interventional pulmonologist, said, “The robotic bronchoscopy system helps me obtain a more precise biopsy of lung nodules, which leads to earlier detection of lung cancer and initiation of treatment, making a significant impact on a patient’s prognosis.”
- “Robotic bronchoscopy is not only safe but also very efficient in decreasing time to diagnosis, staging and number of procedures our patients need for their lung cancer treatment planning,” pulmonologist Dr. Akhil Vallabhaneni added.
The details: Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is a minimally invasive option for patients requiring biopsy of suspicious lung nodules. This technology facilitates precise sampling of nodules deep within the lung, enhancing accuracy and reducing complications.
Why it matters: The advantages of robotic bronchoscopy include improved accuracy, reduced risks, and quicker diagnosis and treatment times. Doctors emphasize the technology's ability to biopsy nodules in challenging locations, which might otherwise pose risks or prove too small for conventional biopsy methods.
Robotic bronchoscopy is available at Northside's Atlanta, Cherokee, Forsyth and Gwinnett campuses.
Learn more about the Northside Hospital Lung Nodule Clinics.
