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Patients at Methodist Hospital in Omaha and Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs will be among the first in the region to have access to the latest technology available in the ongoing fight against lung cancer.
Methodist Hospital in Omaha became the first in Nebraska to acquire the Ion by Intuitive – a robotic-assisted surgical system for lung biopsies. Jennie Edmundson is now the second location in Iowa with the technology – the other being in Des Moines. Methodist performed its first procedure on Aug. 20 and Methodist Jennie Edmundson on Sept. 3.
The new technology helps physicians access all lung nodules to detect and obtain tissue samples. Instead of taking a wait-and-see approach in some cases, physicians using the Ion technology will benefit from diagnostic answers and be able to jump-start the path to treatment, if warranted.
“This new technology is a game changer for us,” said Adam Wells, MD, a pulmonologist with Methodist Physicians Clinic and Methodist Hospital. “Through our low-dose CT screening initiative we have certainly been able to identify more lung cancers than ever before. But with this new technology, we can more quickly and safely get a diagnosis for our patients with the goal of quickly identifying, and curing, early stage lung cancer.”
Here’s how Ion system works:
“To be able to reach nodules that we were unable to access previously is a huge step forward for Methodist and for our patients,” said Sumit Mukherjee, MD, a pulmonologist with Methodist Physicians Clinic and Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital. “The technological advancements with lung cancer are to be applauded. I know I speak for my fellow physicians in praising Methodist for giving us access to such incredible cancer-fighting technology.”