AdventHealth Redmond has expanded its lung cancer diagnostic services with the launch of a new robotic bronchoscopy system designed to help doctors reach and biopsy small or difficult-to-access lung nodules.

The hospital recently began using the Ion robotic bronchoscopy platform, with the first procedure performed on August 26.

The technology gives physicians greater stability, precision and reach when navigating deep into the lungs, including peripheral areas where small nodules can be particularly difficult to access using traditional methods.

The launch comes as AdventHealth Redmond has also reopened its lung nodule clinic, providing patients across Northwest Georgia with a more comprehensive process for evaluating suspicious lung nodules and, when necessary, diagnosing lung cancer.

Dr. Bret Stysly, a pulmonologist at AdventHealth Redmond, said the new system represents a significant advancement in the hospital’s ability to diagnose lung abnormalities earlier and with greater precision.

When a suspicious lung nodule is discovered, determining whether it is cancerous can be critical to deciding the next steps in a patient’s care. The Ion system provides a minimally invasive way for physicians to navigate into the lungs and obtain tissue samples from nodules that might otherwise be difficult to reach.

In appropriate cases, physicians may also be able to perform a biopsy and lymph node staging during the same anesthesia event, potentially shortening the time between discovering a suspicious nodule, obtaining a diagnosis and developing a treatment plan.

In the past, some patients with small nodules have required repeated imaging to watch for changes or have been referred for other biopsy procedures that can carry greater risks of complications. Hospital officials say robotic bronchoscopy provides physicians with another diagnostic option.

With the Ion platform and reopened lung nodule clinic, AdventHealth Redmond says patients can now move through detection, evaluation, biopsy, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care within one connected healthcare system, providing greater access to advanced lung cancer services closer to home.