UPMC Hanover Launches Advanced Robotic Technology to Detect Lung Cancer Earlier

April 11, 2024

HANOVER, Pa. — New robotic technology is now available at UPMC Hanover to diagnose lung cancer earlier. The first two procedures at UPMC Hanover were performed using the Ion® by Intuitive, a new robotic-assisted system. Ayman Bishay, MD, and Nicolas Habib, MD, both pulmonologists, performed these robotic biopsies, with assistance from Troy Moritz, DO, FACOS, chief of thoracic surgery at UPMC in central Pa., on patients whose potentially cancerous nodules or lesions in their lungs were difficult to access with traditional biopsy tools.

The Ion® system allows physicians to use a minimally invasive endoscope to see inside the lungs, obtain a tissue sample for biopsy and enable earlier, more accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung. The technology enhances reach, precision, and stability relative to manual technologies by integrating the latest advancements in robotics, software, data science and endoscopy.

UPMC Hanover is the second UPMC hospital in central Pennsylvania to use this robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive lung biopsy. UPMC West Shore brought the system to its campus in 2021 under the expertise of Dr. Moritz where he and an additional team of surgeons perform the procedure. The Ion® system launch at UPMC Hanover was supported by the Hanover Hospital Foundation.

There are a variety of diagnostic options currently available for lung cancer, but all have limitations in accuracy, safety, or invasiveness. These limitations could lead to false negatives results, or a higher chance of complications such as pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and hemorrhage, which may increase health care costs and extend hospital stays. The Ion is designed to provide more reach, more stability, and more precision for lung biopsy, in cases where other options are not viable.