A high-tech, minimally invasive lung cancer procedure option is available at Springfield Memorial Hospital thanks to a partnership with SIU Medicine.
Robotic bronchoscopy is a state-of-the-art technology that allows biopsy to be performed on areas deep within the lungs that traditional screening methods can’t reach. A very thin, flexible tube called a catheter is guided with exact precision into the lungs to collect very small samples of tissue, giving the physician more options for diagnosis while helping patients experience less discomfort.
“This safer, minimally invasive technology allows me to reach small or hard-to-access nodules with greater precision,” said Dr. Taylor Stone, a critical and pulmonology physician with SIU Medicine. “The result is more timely care, better treatment options and improved outcomes for patients close to home.”
Local patients can be referred for the procedure by their primary care physicians or pulmonologists. It’s intended for patients who have, or are suspected of having, lung nodules that require biopsy.
The procedure is part of Memorial’s ongoing work to increase access to pulmonology expertise and screening technology in Springfield. That includes raising awareness of the importance of screening among individuals at higher risk of lung disease, like current and former smokers and those who were exposed to cancer-causing substances during careers in agriculture, manufacturing and the military.
Memorial Lung Care has expanded availability to ensure patients can schedule appointments sooner. Emily Fendrich, an advanced practice provider with SIU Medicine, has joined the team and is now seeing patients.
“It’s exciting to partner with SIU to offer this procedure to local patients,” said Kimberly Paskiewicz, vice president, clinical enterprise medical affairs at Memorial Health. “Over the past few years, the team at SMH has performed biopsies via robotic bronchoscopy on more than 400 patients – giving them and their physicians the information they need to make informed decisions about treatment and diagnosis.”
“This technology gives us the opportunity to diagnose lung cancers at an earlier stage with fewer complications,” said Dr. Traves Crabtree, a cardiothoracic surgeon with SIU Medicine. “We can therefore treat cancers earlier, which improves long-term survival.”