Hendrick Health offers new procedure to assist surgeons with precision removal of cancerous lung nodules

A new, novel procedure is now available at Hendrick Health to assist surgeons in the removal of cancerous lung nodules with even more precision. Using the Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscope, Hendrick pulmonologist Preston Pate, MD, is able to position a dye-soaked vascular coil next to the affected lung nodules to pinpoint the nodules’ exact locations.

“The advantage of the marking procedure for the patient is better outcomes,” said Dr. Pate. “Before this, the patient most likely would have lost most of their lung to address their nodules.”

In July, Dr. Pate performed the new marking procedure at Hendrick Medical Center South in Abilene, making it the first of its kind not only for Hendrick Health but also for West Texas, said Dr. Pate.

During the marking procedure, a small, dyed coil was placed within 1 centimeter of each of the lung nodules. In the follow-up surgery, performed a few days later at Hendrick Medical Center, Derek Moore, MD, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon with Hendrick Clinic, removed the cancerous nodules.

Both the dye and the coil used during the nodule marking procedure have extensive track records for safe and effective use in treating other cancers and medical conditions. Soaking the coil in dye, however, is an innovative technique. Dye injected directly into lung tissue begins to spread after a few hours. By contrast, the dye binds to the coil’s microfibers and remains in place for days.

The patient’s recovery is shorter than what would have occurred with removal of the lung, and preserving lung function means a better quality of life for the patient, said Dr. Pate.

“This procedure is one example of the innovative, fantastic advances in medicine that we’re doing at Hendrick Health,” said Dr. Pate.