Genesis unveils new robot-era tech to help patients

When Patty Gilbreath got the news, she thought her life might be over. The diagnosis was lung cancer. “It’s devastating. Your life is put on hold. You just think it’s done,” Ms. Gilbreath recalled. But today – just a few weeks after that life-changing news – the 59-year-old Davenport woman is cancer-free. That’s because on […]

When Patty Gilbreath got the news, she thought her life might be over. The diagnosis was lung cancer. “It’s devastating. Your life is put on hold. You just think it’s done,” Ms. Gilbreath recalled.

But today – just a few weeks after that life-changing news – the 59-year-old Davenport woman is cancer-free. That’s because on Wednesday, Nov. 9, Ms. Gilbreath had surgery at Genesis Health Systems in Davenport to remove a lobe of her lung containing two cancerous lung nodules. That good news was made possible, in large part, because of new robotic-era technology called the Ion by Intuitive, a robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive lung biopsies. The high-tech device makes it easier for doctors to obtain tissue samples for early detection of lung cancer. And early detection is a big key to survival for patients like Ms. Gilbreath, said Dr. Brian Witt of Genesis Pulmonary Associates. Dr. Witt was among the medical professionals who helped unveil the Ion robotic technology during a news conference Tuesday morning, Dec. 20, at Genesis Medical Center-East Campus, Davenport. The hospital is the first in the Quad-Cities region to offer the technology for minimally invasive lung biopsies that enables doctors to more easily obtain tissue samples for early detection and staging of lung cancer.

“Ion navigational bronchoscopy is a significant advancement in the early detection of lung cancer for our patients,” Dr. Witt said in a statement regarding the high-tech device. “It gives pulmonologists a minimally invasive way to access areas of the lung that previously were nearly impossible to reach and to biopsy lung nodules for an immediate diagnosis. Detecting lung cancer at an earlier stage can improve outcomes for patients and give them a better chance of survival.” The robotic device represents a nearly $500,000 financial investment for Genesis, but “that’s a small capital investment” for the medical benefits it offers, Genesis Medical Center President Jordan Voigt told the QCBJ on Tuesday. Those medical benefits made possible by the new technology center include: much faster detection of lung cancer (and faster detection of conditions that are not cancer); faster recovery for patients; less pain; shorter hospital stays; and less scar tissue, said Dr. Kurt Andersen, Genesis’ chief clinical officer/chief medical officer. Dr. Andersen was recently named as the health system’s next president and CEO with the impending retirement of Doug Cropper.  “The robots don’t do all the work. Physicians are also there,” Dr. Andersen added. Genesis has one Ion device with no immediate plans to buy additional devices. Dr. Witt said the Ion has a fast “turnaround” time of about 45 minutes, which means it can easily be used for patients in back-to-back procedures. Prior to Ion, a common way to identify and biopsy suspicious lung nodules was to use live CT scan imaging and a needle, entering the chest wall and lung from the outside of the body. This biopsy method carries a significant risk of collapsing the lung, which can require hospitalization for some patients. Ion’s minimally invasive lung biopsy is safer for patients, according to information from Genesis.

How it works

Before the biopsy, Ion software uses a CT scan of the lungs to generate 3D airway images to map a pathway to the suspicious nodule. With the Ion’s vision probe, doctors have real-time vision of the airway. They insert the ultra-thin Ion catheter, traveling to the patient’s lung via the mouth and throat and through an endotracheal tube. This has fewer complications than using a needle inserted outside the body, Genesis added. “Ion navigational bronchoscopy substantially decreases the risk of collapsing the lung,” Dr. Anand Kommuri, of Genesis Pulmonary Associates, said in a news release. “The Ion catheter can navigate in tight spaces, bending 180 degrees in all directions, to reach any lung nodule and obtain a tissue sample for a more precise biopsy.” During a demonstration of the technology Tuesday, Ms. Gilbreath said she was especially impressed by the technology. “I think it’s pretty darned amazing. You don’t see this technology when you’re asleep (during the medical procedure),” she added. Ms. Gilbreath, who was a smoker for 45 years before quitting, added that she is grateful the new technology has given her a second chance at life. “The minute you’re told you have cancer, your life kind of stops. I feel like I have been given a second chance and have a new outlook on life. It’s amazing,” she said in a released statement. Ion is the latest addition to the Genesis family of robotic-assisted technology that offers patients minimally invasive procedures in urology, general surgery, gynecology, orthopedics and now pulmonology for faster recovery and less pain. Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, began its robotic-assisted surgery program in 2009 with the acquisition of its first da Vinci robot. Now with four da Vinci robots for surgery, one Ion for pulmonology, and one Rosa Knee for total knee replacement, Genesis expects to achieve the highest-ever volume this month, Mr. Voigt said.  Genesis offers a Lung Cancer Screening Program for at-risk patients to detect lung cancer early, before symptoms begin, and improve outcomes. For more information, call (563) 421-LUNG or visit this site.