HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital has reached a significant milestone with its 500th robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedure, the hospital announced last week.
- The technology provides a minimally invasive method to biopsy lung nodules, enabling earlier detection of lung cancer when treatment can be more successful, according to the hospital.
“In using robotic bronchoscopy, we’ve been able to diagnose patients’ lung cancer much earlier than what we would’ve been able to in the past,” said Dr. Luke Yuhico, interventional pulmonologist at the hospital. “We’ve also been able to provide other patients reassurance that they don’t have cancer much earlier than before.”
According to Dr. Yuhico, the hospital’s interventional pulmonology team achieves about a 90% success rate with these outpatient procedures, which typically take 30-45 minutes to complete. The complication rate remains extremely low at approximately 2-3%, he said.
The robotic-assisted approach has largely overcome previous obstacles in lung nodule biopsy, the hospital stated. Traditional methods struggled to reach nodules at the outer edges of the lungs, and needle biopsies through the chest carried risks of lung collapse. These concerns are “virtually eliminated” with the robotic-assisted technique, according to the hospital.
- Most lung nodules are small and harmless, though suspicious nodules larger than 8 millimeters may require biopsy to determine if they are cancerous, the hospital explained.
Dr. Yuhico encourages patients to seek care at high-volume centers like Fort Walton-Destin Hospital due to the team’s experience and proficiency with this advanced procedure.
For more information about the hospital’s interventional pulmonary program or to schedule an appointment with a specialist, visit www.HCAFloridaHealthcare.com, the hospital advised.
