On June 30, Hackensack University Medical Center became the first hospital in New Jersey to perform an innovative minimally invasive robotic-assisted technique to biopsy a suspected lung cancer. Called Ion, the novel technology enables thoracic surgeons to access hard-to-reach nodules, such as those in the outer periphery of the lungs. The new tool can help doctors identify lung cancers earlier than with existing technologies, allowing patients to start effective treatment sooner and obtain better outcomes.
More than 70% of lung nodules that need to be biopsied (analyzed to see if they are cancer) reside far out in the periphery of the lung, making them very difficult to biopsy using conventional bronchoscopy (a tube with a camera on its tip inserted through a patient’s mouth into the lungs). The Ion system combines computed tomography (CT) data and robotic-assisted surgical technology to facilitate and expedite access to these nodules. The entire procedure is performed through bronchoscopy, without the need for any external surgical incisions.
“Hackensack University Medical Center is committed to exploring the most advanced treatments and integrating them into the care of our patients,” explained Ihor Sawczuk, MD, FACS, president, Northern Region, and chief research officer, Hackensack Meridian Health. “The Ion system is an advanced tool that our surgeons have embraced to enhance lung cancer diagnosis and yield information that enables doctors to match patients with the most effective therapies as soon as possible.”
Here’s how Ion works:
- Using CT scan data of a patient’s lungs, doctors generate a three-dimensional image of the airways and its branches to identify the target nodule and create a preplanned path to reach it.
- During bronchoscopy, the thoracic surgeon uses the Ion controller to navigate an ultra-thin catheter along the preplanned path to the nodule. The flexible catheter has 180º articulation and is able to pass around tight turns into the branches of the lungs. The system allows the surgeon to know exactly where the catheter is in the patient’s lungs at all times, in real-time.
- Once the catheter reaches the nodule, robotic technology enables the surgeon to lock it in place. The surgeon extends the special Ion system needle through the catheter into the lesion to obtain a tissue sample to biopsy. This can be done more than once if needed.
- The surgeon withdraws the catheter and bronchoscope and sends the tissue sample to a pathologist to analyze for cancer cells.
The Ion system’s precision and flexibility optimize lung navigation and result in more accurate biopsies. Ion will be used to screen for and diagnosis lung cancer by providing more access to small airways or hard-to-reach nodules than other technologies, as well as for patients who cannot have surgery but need a lung biopsy.
“The use of the Ion system is another example of how Hackensack University Medical Center delivers the highest quality care and the best possible patient experience,” said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, president and chief hospital executive, Hackensack University Medical Center and executive vice president of Population Health, Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are excited to be the first in the state to implement this technique in our armamentarium of lung cancer tools to improve care and benefit patients.”
“As thoracic surgeons, we are always seeking new ways to make care more efficient and effective for people with lung cancer,” said Nabil Rizk, MD, MS, MPH, chief, Thoracic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center. “Lung nodules in the outer reaches of the lung have long presented clinical challenges to biopsy, and the Ion system is a revolutionary approach we are eager to use to overcome these obstacles.”
The Ion system will integrate seamlessly into Hackensack University Medical Center’s existing bronchoscopy technology. It will also reduce the amount of procedures over the long-term and is expected to improve overall patient outcomes. To learn more about Ion, visit: https://www.intuitive.com/en-us/products-and-services/ion.
For more information, please email Katherine Emmanouilidis, Director of Communications, Northern Region at Hackensack Meridian Health, ke@hackensackmeridian.org.
About Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, a 781-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county’s first hospital, it is now part of the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care, which is comprised of 35,000 team members and more than 7,000 physicians. Hackensack University Medical Center is ranked #2 in New Jersey and #59 in the country in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019-20 Best Hospital rankings and is ranked high-performing in the U.S. in colon cancer surgery, lung cancer surgery, COPD, heart failure, heart bypass surgery, aortic valve surgery, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, knee replacement and hip replacement. Out of 4,500 hospitals evaluated, Hackensack is one of only 57 that received a top rating in all nine procedures and conditions. Hackensack University Medical Center is one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more years in a row. Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Hackensack University Medical Center as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America 2018. The medical center is one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country according to Practice Greenhealth, and received 26 Gold Seals of Approval™ by The Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its sixth consecutive designation in 2019. Hackensack University Medical Center has created an entire campus of award-winning care, including: John Theurer Cancer Center, a consortium member of the NCI-designated Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center® and listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Hackensack University Medical Center is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls and is Official Medical Services Provider to THE NORTHERN TRUST PGA Golf Tournament. It remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events especially the Tackle Kids Cancer Campaign providing much needed research at the Children’s Cancer Institute housed at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. To learn more, visit www.HackensackUMC.org.
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