Genesis First in the Region to Offer Minimally Invasive, Robotic-Assisted Lung Biopsy for Early Detection of Lung Cancer
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, largely because it often goes undiagnosed until the disease has advanced and is more
difficult to cure.
Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, is the first in the Quad-Cities region to offer Ion by Intuitive, a robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive lung biopsies that enables doctors to more easily obtain tissue samples for early detection and staging of lung cancer.
Diagnosing lung cancer often requires a biopsy of lung nodules, most of which are located in the outer third of the lung. This area of the lung is full of tight spaces and narrow airways that are difficult to reach with a traditional bronchoscope. Ion navigational bronchoscopy is able to
access these hard-to-reach areas of the lung.
“Ion navigational bronchoscopy is a significant advancement in the early detection of lung cancer for our patients,” said pulmonologist Brian Witt, M.D. of Genesis Pulmonary Associates. “It gives pulmonologists a minimally invasive way to access areas of the lung that previously
were nearly impossible to reach and to biopsy lung nodules for an immediate diagnosis. Detecting lung cancer at an earlier stage can improve outcomes for patients and give them a better chance of survival.”
Patty Gilbreath, 59, of Davenport, learned she had lung cancer after Dr. Witt performed a lung biopsy with the Ion technology. Her lung cancer was found at its earliest stage, Stage 1. On November 9, she had surgery at Genesis to remove a lobe of her lung containing two cancerous lung nodules. She continues to recover from the surgery and feels "blessed" to be cancer-free.
“I’m thankful for the Ion lung biopsy and overwhelmed and grateful to be cancer-free,” said Gilbreath, who smoked 45 years before quitting and has been getting annual CT scans to screen for lung cancer. She has a family history of cancer. “The minute you’re told you have cancer,
your life kind of stops. I feel like I have been given a second chance and have a new outlook on life. It’s amazing.”
Ion is the latest addition to the Genesis “family” of robotic-assisted technology that offers
patients minimally invasive procedures in urology, general surgery, gynecology, orthopedics
and now pulmonology for faster recovery and less pain.
“We’re excited to bring Ion to Genesis as the latest robotic-assisted technology to get patients
back to their lives sooner,” said Jordan Voigt, President of Genesis Medical Center in
Davenport. “We offer the region’s most advanced and comprehensive program of robotic-
assisted minimally invasive procedures, with 22 active providers and more than 5,400
procedures performed. Some examples of the many types of procedures we do include
prostate and gallbladder removal, knee replacement, hernia repair and hysterectomy.”
Genesis Medical Center, Davenport began its robotic-assisted surgery program in 2009 with the
acquisition of its first da Vinci robot. Now with four da Vinci robots for surgery, one Ion for
pulmonology, and one Rosa® Knee for total knee replacement, Genesis Medical Center,
Davenport expects to achieve the highest-ever volume this month, Voigt said. Genesis Medical
Center, Silvis, also has a Rosa.
