Memorial Hermann offers robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to patients who have been diagnosed with a lung mass or nodule that meets certain clinical criteria.
Robotic bronchoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure to look and sample inside a patient's lungs. The procedure involves passing a flexible tube with a video camera, called a bronchoscope, into the mouth, through the airway, navigating to the lung mass or the lung nodule.
With the robotic platform, the pulmonologist stands next to the patient and steers the robotic arm, using a console to guide the camera into the lungs to obtain samples of lung tissue. The platform provides a 3D map of the lungs, allowing for more precise movements than traditional bronchoscopes to enable the physician to reach smaller, more distant lung nodules.
Robotic bronchoscopy benefits you by providing safer, more precise diagnosis of lung masses and nodules with a single procedure: Other benefits include:
If your doctor decides that you are a candidate for robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, you will schedule an appointment at a Memorial Hermann hospital throughout Greater Houston.
You will not be allowed to eat for eight hours prior to your procedure. The procedure will be performed under general anesthesia, with medication administered through an IV to keep you comfortable. Your pulmonary doctor will perform the procedure, which usually takes less than an hour, standing next to you, guiding the robotic arm, bronchoscope, and camera. The tissue biopsied from your lung will be sent to a pathologist to examine it under a microscope. The pathologist's report will help your doctor plan your treatment.
When you wake up in recovery, your throat may be sore. You will be allowed to go home with an adult to drive you. You may experience trouble swallowing temporarily and may cough up small amounts of blood for one to two days after your procedure. Your doctor will provide instructions to help aid in your recovery at home.
Using robotic technology allows for earlier detection of lung cancer and other lung diseases, which may improve your chances of successful treatment. The precision of the robotic-assisted approach to bronchoscopy and the ability to simultaneously biopsy lymph nodes also can help physicians rapidly develop a care plan to being prompt treatment, which may lead to improver outcomes.
Robotic bronchoscopy is available at these Memorial Hermann facilities:
Your health care provider or a Lung Nurse Navigator can help you determine if you fit the criteria appropriate for the robotic bronchoscopy procedure. For more information, please fill out the form below to be connected to one of our Oncology Nurse Navigators.