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Indianapolis—Community Health Network is offering hope to lung cancer patients with the help of two robots that make it possible to be diagnosed with cancer and have the tumor surgically removed in the same procedure.
A team of thoracic surgeons at Community Heart and Vascular Hospital (CHVH) became the first in Indianapolis to perform this procedure called Combined Robotic Assisted Thoracic Surgery (CRATS). Under a single dose of anesthesia, an ION robot bronchoscope is used to biopsy an identified tumor. If it is diagnosed as cancer and an endobronchial ultrasound shows it has not spread to the lymph nodes, the patient then undergoes surgery under the same anesthesia. The thoracic surgeon uses a Da Vinci robotic video-assisted system to remove the cancerous tumor. The combined procedures can be completed in about three hours.
This advanced technology provides the earliest possible treatment after diagnosis for the patient, saving valuable time, and potentially limiting the spread of lung cancer. “Coupling the ION navigational bronchoscope and the Da Vinci robotic platform has allowed us to streamline patient care throughout our network,” said Dr. Ashish Pulikal, Community Health Network thoracic surgeon. “We are now able to diagnose and remove lung cancer with one combined minimally invasive robotic procedure, enhancing patient safety and improving outcomes significantly.”
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. Providing the technology to combine early diagnosis with cancer removal during the same procedure is part of Community Health Network’s commitment to putting patients first. “It has been an absolute honor to work with this team to bring this technology to CHVH,” said Donetta Gee-Weiler, CHVH Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer. “I lost my grandfather to lung cancer four years ago due to later diagnosis. The thought of being able to help patients sooner and improve outcomes truly is what it is all about!"
The thoracic surgery team at CHVH has performed seven successful CRATS procedures so far and has plans for extending this treatment to more high-risk lung cancer patients in the future.
About Community Health Network
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Community Health Network has been deeply committed to the communities it serves since opening its first hospital, Community Hospital East, in 1956. Community Health Network puts patients first while offering a full continuum of healthcare services, world-class innovations, and a new focus on population health management. Exceptional care, simply delivered, is what sets Community Health Network apart and what makes it a leading not-for-profit healthcare destination in central Indiana. For more information about Community Health Network, please visit eCommunity.com.
