Grandview First Community Hospital in Birmingham to Use an Endoluminal System for Lung Biopsy

11/14/2023

BIRMINGHAM, AL (November 14, 2023) – Grandview Medical Center is the first community hospital in Birmingham, and among few centers in the state, to use a robotic endoluminal system for lung biopsy. The system is designed to address a challenging aspect of lung biopsy by enabling physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung. The system features an ultra-thin, ultra-maneuverable 3 millimeter catheter that allows navigation far into the peripheral lung with more stability. It is a small navigational catheter system that offers proprietary shape sensing technology, different from other navigational systems using electromagnetics, allowing for more reliable and precise results.

“The robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform is a game changer in our fight against lung cancer,” said Tyler Wahl, M.D., thoracic surgeon with Grandview Cardiothoracic Surgeons. “The system allows providers to offer better cancer care solutions. Even nodules less than 1 centimeter can now be sampled to rule out malignancy that would have otherwise been placed into surveillance. We know that size matters in cancer and stage 1 lung cancers should be detected before regional or distant progression occurs. It enables us, as clinicians, to obtain tissue from challenging locations within the lung while protecting vital structures in our chest. We know that procedure complication rates and need for subsequent biopsies are reduced with this technology.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. Studies have shown that when diagnosed at the earliest stage, the average 5-year survival rate is 92 percent. However, growth of just a few centimeters more can make a large impact on survival. Early-stage diagnosis is crucial and the system is helping clinicians provide patients more answers.

Back