A high-tech, minimally invasive lung biopsy procedure option is now available at Decatur Memorial Hospital thanks to a partnership with Memorial Specialty Care Pulmonology.
“Bringing robotic bronchoscopy to DMH means our patients no longer have to leave the community to receive this level of advanced diagnostic care,” said Kimberly Paskiewicz, system administrator for specialty services at Memorial Health. “It’s incredibly meaningful to offer such innovative technology right here at home, where patients feel supported and surrounded by their own care teams.”
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.
Local patients can be referred for the screening 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 Decatur. 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.
“What I'm most excited about in adding a robotic bronchoscopy system here at DMH is that it will augment things we already do, including our robust lung cancer screening initiative and collaborative relationships with local cancer specialists,” said Dr. Patrick Sylvester, a pulmonologist at Memorial Specialty Care Pulmonology.