DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Offering Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Option For Lung Biopsy

DETROIT — DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital is now offering patients a new, minimally-invasive option for lung biopsy.

Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital is using a robotic-assisted platform for bronchoscopic biopsy of the lung. This method allows for advanced maneuverability and navigation through narrow airways to nodules far into the peripheral lung. A team from the Charach Cancer Treatment Center has successfully performed cases at Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital recently.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer this novel, minimally-invasive technology to our patients,” said Dr. Lawrence MacDonald, Chief of Pulmonary Medicine. “This tool allows us to reach areas in the periphery of the lung that were not accessible before, allowing patients to receive an earlier definitive diagnosis and treatment plan, which can give them a better chance of a successful outcome.”

This new method has an ultra-thin, easily controllable catheter that can move 180 degrees in all directions. Doctors can use the catheter to navigate through the lung to reach nodules in any airway segment. The robot’s flexible biopsy needle can also pass through very tight bends via the catheter to collect tissue in the peripheral lung, enabling a more precise biopsy and a safer experience for patients.

“Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital is proud to be one of the first community hospitals in Oakland County to adopt this new technology. This is another example of our continued dedication to innovation and advanced technologies so Metro Detroit residents can stay close to home and receive the most advanced care possible,” said David McEwen, chief executive officer at Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital.

"The advanced features of the robotic navigation give us a level of precision when performing bronchoscopies for lung nodule biopsy,” Kimberly Hart, M.D., clinical chief for the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Charach Cancer Treatment Center at Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital. "This is just the latest step in our efforts to diagnose earlier and provide better outcomes for patients at Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital."