McLEOD McLEOD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 8 NOVEMBER 2023

by Srinivas Kolla, MD, and Dr. Vinod Jona
McLeod Healthy Lungs Initiative

Advancements in robotic-assisted technologies such as the da Vinci Xi robot and the Ion system enable McLeod Physicians to improve the detection and treatment of lung cancer.

The comprehensive lung 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 addition of Ion in late 2022, a robotic-assisted endoluminal platform for minimally invasive peripheral lung biopsy, has taken the detection of lung cancer to the next level and allows us to provide superior care to patients.

Dr. Vinod Jona

Ion enables our lung team to precisely detect lung cancer earlier, test for tumor markers, and perform smaller resections using our da Vinci robot. Additionally, this new technology revolutionizes the speed and accuracy with which lung cancer can be diagnosed, allowing for treatment to begin sooner.

Offered at McLeod Regional Medical Center, the Ion system provides navigation and guidance to distant regions of the lungs in a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, enabling us to locate, biopsy, and plan treatment for very small lung nodules that were previously difficult to access with traditional technology. The McLeod team is utilizing the system to act sooner and not wait for nodules to grow before they are biopsied.

Prior to the procedure, we take the data from a patient’s lung CT scans and utilize the Ion platform to build a dynamic 3D map of the patient’s lungs. Ion allows us to navigate the safest and most efficient path to the targeted nodule using an ultrathin, moveable, camera-equipped catheter. With the platform’s controller, I 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 a rapid on-site evaluation of the biopsy thanks to the addition of a certified histotechnician in the OR. And, we can further evaluate the patient’s test results by biopsying the lymph nodes during this same procedure using endobronchial ultrasound.

Earlier treatment for lung cancer is proven to increase survival rates to as high as 92 percent. Using this technology, we can establish the diagnosis sooner and perform pre-surgical staging in a single procedure.

Dr. Srinivas Kolla

Advancements in thoracic surgery and robotic-assisted procedures have also greatly improved the treatment of lung cancer by McLeod Cardiothoracic Surgeons. In addition, we are fortunate at McLeod to have a da Vinci Xi robot dedicated exclusively to thoracic surgical cases in one of our Heart and Vascular Operating Rooms.

A form of minimally invasive surgery, robotic-assisted procedures remove the need for a large incision and instead only require small incisions. This gives the patient less discomfort, a faster recovery, and an earlier return to their quality of life.

During robotic-assisted surgery, the surgeon operates through a few small incisions, controlling the robot’s every move while seated at a console in the operating room. The surgeon’s hand, wrist, and finger movements guide the robot in manipulating the surgical instruments inside the patient. In essence, the robot becomes an extension of the surgeon’s hands. The surgeon views the surgical site through a high-definition 3-D camera. This magnified imagery provides enhanced visibility and improved precision for exact treatment and greater dexterity for the surgeon.

Robotic-assisted surgery also 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.

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.

I have been very impressed with the cohesiveness of the medical team in the operating rooms at McLeod. In addition to their many years of service, there is a unified flow among the team. I have operated in numerous medical facilities, and none are as good as our teams at McLeod. This is a very rare find anywhere in the United States, so it was a real plus for me when I chose to come to McLeod and Florence.

The collaboration of the McLeod Healthy Lungs Initiative and the addition of these robotic-assisted technologies further strengthens the comprehensive lung cancer program we offer to patients from the midlands to the coast.

For more information on the McLeod Healthy Lungs Initiative, please call (843) 777-5953.

A Board Certified Thoracic Surgeon, Dr. Srinivas Kolla received his degree in medicine from Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. He completed general surgery and thoracic surgery residencies at University of Michigan Hospitals in Ann Arbor. He also completed fellowships in Surgical Critical Care and Extracorporeal Life Support at University of Michigan Hospitals. He cares for patients at McLeod Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates.

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Sleep Medicine, Dr. Vinod Jona obtained his medical degree at Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal, India. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Jacobi Medical Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Yeshiva University, in Bronx, New York, and a fellowship in Pulmonary Disease at Albert Einstein Health Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Jona cares for patients at McLeod Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates.