Saint Francis Hospital Celebrates 500th Procedure Using the Ion Endoluminal System

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Saint Francis Hospital has completed its 500th robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedure using the Ion endoluminal system, becoming the first hospital in Connecticut to reach this milestone. The team of interventional pulmonology and thoracic specialists, led by Anil Magge, M.D., Director of Interventional Pulmonology, are among the national leaders in Ion procedures, with Dr. Magge being one of the top single users across the country.

“We are so proud to have completed 500 procedures with the Ion System,” said Dr. Magge. “At Saint Francis, we are committed to providing transformative care to our community, and by providing minimally invasive options like robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, we have been able to make a huge difference in outcomes. We know that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, and with our incredible multidisciplinary team of pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, and oncologists, we are able to provide life-changing care to our patients by significantly reducing the time from detection to diagnosis to treatment.”

Ion is one part of the cutting-edge Thoracic Oncology Program at Saint Francis, which allows lung cancer patients to have early detection, biopsy, and surgery to remove the cancerous growth all within a significantly shortened timeframe of just a few weeks. Typically, the journey from when a potentially cancerous lung nodule is detected through surgical removal can last 2-2.5 months, while the Saint Francis program has shorted that to approximately 17 days. The team is committed to taking an innovative approach to patient care to ensure they are eliminating delays and improving the coordination of care with each specialist. This multidisciplinary coordination expedites the patient’s journey to wellness by providing a high level of care seen at major hospitals in Boston and New York City in a setting close to home.

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.