Saint Francis Hospital Celebrates 100th Procedure Using the Ion Endoluminal System

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Saint Francis Hospital has completed its 100th robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedure using the Ion endoluminal system, becoming the first hospital in Connecticut to reach this milestone. The team of pulmonology and thoracic specialists, led by Anil Magge, M.D., Director of Interventional Pulmonology, completed 100 procedures in just five months, after performing the first procedure on October 11, 2022.

Saint Francis was the first hospital in Connecticut to utilize the Ion endoluminal System, a minimally invasive, robotic-assisted technology made by Intuitive. The hospital added the Ion system to its options available for patients who are in need of lung biopsy procedures, allowing surgeons to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung and potentially detect lung cancer threats sooner.

“We are so proud to have completed 100 procedures with the Ion system,” said Dr. Magge. “We know that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. By providing minimally invasive options like robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to our patients, we can detect cancerous nodules earlier, which can make a huge difference in outcomes. We have an incredible multidisciplinary team of pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, and oncologists that are committed to providing the best possible care to our patients, from detection to diagnosis to treatment, and we look forward to continuing to deliver this life-changing care to our community.”

The Ion system features an ultra-thin, ultra-maneuverable catheter that allows navigation far into the lung, addressing a challenging aspect of lung biopsy. Along with unparalleled stability, this enables the precision needed for biopsy compared to other technologies.

During bronchoscopy with the Ion robotic platform, the physician uses a console to navigate to the target within the lung along a pre-planned pathway. The catheter can move 180° in any direction to pass through small, difficult to navigate airways to reach the lung nodule of concern. Ion’s peripheral vision probe provides direct vision during navigation. Once at the desired location, the catheter locks into place and biopsy tools are then passed through the catheter to take a sample of the nodule.

For more information on minimally invasive lung biopsy options at Trinity Health Of New England, visit www.trinityhealthofne.org/ion.