Medically Reviewed by Srinivas Kolla, MD

Advancements in robotic-assisted technologies such as the latest next generation thoracic robot and the Ion system are enabling McLeod Physicians to improve the detection and treatment of lung cancer.

Ion System

Ion, a robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive procedures, enables our lung team to go deeper into the lungs to locate the much smaller lung nodules, perform a biopsy to precisely detect lung cancer and then develop a treatment plan all with improved speed and accuracy.

Offered at McLeod Regional Medical Center, the Ion system provides pulmonologists with navigation and guidance to areas of the lungs that were previously difficult to access with traditional technology.  Prior to the procedure, the medical team takes data from a patient’s lung CT scans and utilizes the Ion platform to build a dynamic 3D map of the patient’s lungs. Ion allows the team to navigate the safest and most efficient path to the targeted nodule using an ultrathin, moveable, camera-equipped catheter. With the platform’s controller, the physician can move the catheter 180 degrees in any direction to pass through small, difficult-to-reach airways and around tight bends to navigate all 18 segments of the lung.

We are also able to inform patients if the lung nodule is cancerous or not before they go home because we have rapid on-site evaluation of the biopsy, and we can evaluate to a greater extent the patient’s test results by biopsying the lymph nodes during this same procedure using endobronchial ultrasound.

Next Generation Thoracic Robot

The addition of the next generation thoracic robot at McLeod Regional Medical Center is further offering lung cancer patients with better outcomes and an enhanced surgical experience.

Robotic-assisted surgery provides a more thorough operation for lung cancer. The unique feature of robotic lung surgery is that it gives a view inside the chest with 3D visualization of the lymph nodes, allowing us to remove them with minimal physical after-effects. Extracting more lymph nodes, as well as the primary tumor, provides a more complete removal of the cancer.

In addition to easier extraction, robotic-assisted surgery often leads to better outcomes for patients because it more accurately stages the cancer than with previous methods. From a cancer perspective, it is unparalleled in its ability to deliver a comprehensive operation for the patient.

We are also fortunate at McLeod to have this new robot installed and dedicated exclusively to thoracic surgical cases in one of our Heart and Vascular Operating Rooms. Advanced features of this upgraded robotic system include reduced procedure time, optimized vision and higher image resolution, and first-of-its-kind Force Feedback technology which results in less damage to the patient’s tissue because I can feel the pressure I am applying to the tissue.

However, robotic surgery is more than just the robot and the surgeon. At McLeod Regional Medical Center, it takes a whole team of clinical staff to ensure a smooth operation and good outcomes.

In addition to their many years of service, there is a unified flow among the team. Quite frankly, the McLeod Robotic Surgical team members are some of the best staff I have ever worked with. I have operated in numerous medical facilities, and none are as good as our teams at McLeod.

Since I’ve joined the lung cancer program at McLeod, our comprehensive, coordinated cancer team has made major impacts in not only the detection of lung cancer but at an earlier stage thanks to the McLeod Lung Cancer Screening Program. I looked at our diagnoses two years ago and we were diagnosing more Stage IV cancers than Stage I – Stage I being early and Stage IV being late cancers. Two years later, with our lung cancer screening program, we are now detecting cancers at a rate of three to one early versus late. Early stage cancers have a better chance of responding to therapy and achieving a longer-term outcome which is more beneficial to a patient.

Thoracic surgery is a component that integrates into the total coordinated lung cancer care of the patient and that is how we have always approached it. The comprehensive lung cancer program at McLeod includes our lung cancer screening program, dedicated nurse navigators, a lung nodule clinic, patient conferences with multiple specialists and innovative treatment options. The collaboration of our cancer team at McLeod and the addition of Ion and this next generation robot is taking the treatment of lung cancer to the next level and allows us to provide superior care to patients. We feel that is the best way to serve our patients.

Comprehensive Lung Cancer Care at McLeod 

Early detection of lung cancer is essential to improving survival rates. At McLeod Regional Medical Center and McLeod Health Seacoast, Dr. Vinod Jona, Dr. Carmen Taype-Roberts, Dr. Melissa Miara, Dr. Kevin Dineen and Dr. Abhijit Mahalingashetty utilize Ion, a robotic-assisted technology, to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages. The Ion system provides pulmonologists with navigation and guidance to areas of the lungs that were difficult to access with traditional technology. With Ion, these physicians can go deeper into the lungs to locate the much smaller lung nodules, perform a biopsy to precisely detect lung cancer and then develop a treatment plan all with improved speed and accuracy.

Advancements such as the Ion technology, robotic-assisted thoracic surgery and radiation oncology treatment, all strengthen the lung cancer care McLeod Health offers to patients in the region.