Upstate Medical University now offers a new minimally invasive robotic-assisted lung biopsy that enables doctors to detect lung cancers much earlier.

The Ion endoluminal system, made by Intuitive, maker of the da Vinci surgical system, can access tissue that previously required much more invasive biopsies or even surgery, according to Manju Paul, MD, who along with Mansur Javaid, MD, are the two physicians at Upstate with expertise in this device.

“This procedure allows pulmonologists to reach peripheral airways in the lungs, enabling them to detect lung cancer at an earlier stage when it is easier to treat and potentially cure,” said Paul, a board-certified interventional pulmonologist.

“It is often combined with another procedure known as endobronchial ultrasound to evaluate chest lymph nodes to determine if cancer has spread to those nodes,” Paul said. “This helps with the staging of lung cancer. It decreases the time from diagnosis to treatment so patients can receive the care they need faster. In lung cancer, time to intervention is critical.

Previously patients with small peripheral lung nodules were being referred to interventional radiology for transthoracic needle aspiration, an effective procedure but one with potential complications. Robotic bronchoscopy offers a safer and faster look inside the lung.

Paul said that lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for 25 percent of all cancer-related deaths. Despite increased screening, 66 percent of lung cancers are still diagnosed at a late stage.

Upstate is the only hospital using the Ion system to offer robotic bronchoscopy in Central New York. Only 635 hospitals across the country use the Ion system.

Paul and Javaid have performed 20 cases using the Ion system since Upstate began offering this procedure last month.

Ion enables physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung, addressing a challenging aspect of lung biopsy. It may also help patients avoid subsequent biopsies by helping enable a diagnosis through the samples obtained.

The system features an ultra-thin, ultra-maneuverable catheter that allows navigation far into the peripheral lung, and unprecedented stability enables the precision needed for biopsy compared to manual techniques.

Using images from a CT scan, the health care team can create a 3D map of the patient’s lungs. The software generates the safest, most efficient route through the lung to the lesion. Then, using the robotic arm, the physician navigates to the site of the lung lesion, where it is biopsied.

Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia.

“With the adoption of robotic bronchoscopy services at Upstate, we strive to decrease the time between nodule detection and diagnosis. This procedure enables us to get early answers and deliver meaningful innovation to continue advancing care for our lung cancer patients.”

Caption: Manju Paul, MD, and Mansur Javaid, MD, are now performing minimally invasive robotic-assisted lung biopsies