At Englewood Health in New Jersey, medical professionals are utilizing the Ion endoluminal system from Intuitive Surgical. This system aids in collecting tissue samples from the lung’s outer third, a challenging area to reach, to detect lung cancer in its early stages.
The robotic-assisted bronchoscopy technique offers more stability and precision compared to the traditional approach. Dr. David Shiu, the head of pulmonary medicine at Englewood Health, commented, “With this technology, we can access lung lesions that were previously unreachable with standard bronchoscopy techniques,” as stated on the health system’s website.
This technology includes a flexible catheter with a vision probe for real-time visual guidance during lesion targeting.
Per Intuitive’s website, the system integrates with the Siemens Healthineers’ Cios Spin mobile imaging system. This offers 3D scanning and touchscreen accessibility for surgeons during lung biopsies, enhancing navigational accuracy and lesion confirmation.
Englewood Health holds the distinction of being New Jersey’s first hospital to implement robot-assisted spine surgery, as reported by the New Jersey Business Magazine last year.
Robotic-assisted surgery has been shown to enhance patient recovery by reducing incisions and minimizing tissue damage, leading to less postoperative pain and shorter hospital stays.
The advancement in this technology is paving the way for robotic telesurgery, contingent on the development of high-speed fiber optic communications to ensure patient safety. In a significant milestone, a surgical team in Singapore successfully performed a remote gastrectomy on a patient in Japan, covering a distance of over 3,107 miles. The trial highlighted a minimal time lag, fitting within industry standards.
Miller also emphasized that robotic-assisted surgery produces data that can be used by AI and machine learning to improve surgical efficiency and training, potentially enhancing outcomes.
Earlier this year, NVIDIA announced that urologists at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hospital in Belgium utilized its Holoscan real-time AI-computing software in a kidney removal surgery. The software provided an augmented reality overlay of the patient’s anatomy, improving the effectiveness of the robotic-assisted surgery using Intuitive’s tools.
IN SUMMARY
“We’re entering a new era in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment with the introduction of robotic-assisted bronchoscopy,” stated Dr. Christos Stavropoulos, director of thoracic oncology at the Lefcourt Family Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center and chief of thoracic surgery at Englewood Health, in the report.
He highlighted, “This technology grants us unprecedented access to peripheral lung nodules, enhancing our ability to detect and combat lung cancer in its earliest stages, ultimately giving our patients a better chance at a healthier future.”
Credit to Andrea Fox of Healthcare IT News for the information