Radiology program earns national training designation
LOUISVILLE — The lung program team from Baptist Health celebrated its 1,000th robotic-assisted procedure, using the Ion robotic-assisted system, which allows the medical team to safely inspect small, hard-to-reach areas of the lungs.
For patients, early detection through minimally invasive procedures can mean catching lung cancer before it progresses.
“We are really excited about the technology. Ion allows us to diagnose smaller and smaller lung cancers. The smaller the lung cancer you can diagnose, the earlier stage it is, the more people will survive. And that’s our goal,” said Angela Mahan, MD, director of thoracic surgery at Baptist Health.
The 1,000-case milestone comes as Baptist Health Louisville has been designated as an Ion National Case Observation Site and can now host physicians from hospitals new to the Ion technology, allowing them to observe live procedures performed by an experienced proceduralist as part of their training.
“As a case observation site, other programs across the country can come to Baptist Health Louisville to learn exactly how we utilize the Ion unit and how we diagnose cancer patients earlier,” says Jamie Harness, executive director of the oncology program at Baptist Health Louisville and La Grange.
Baptist Health Louisville is also one of two programs in Kentucky operating a second Ion system, expanding capacity for patients who need lung biopsies and early cancer detection closer to home.
“We are pushing the envelope and potentially changing the standard of care,” said Mark Esterle, MD, a pulmonary critical care physician with Baptist Health. “Being able to reach things that previously would have put people on a pathway of watching and wondering. Now we can say, ‘Maybe let’s go ahead and figure out exactly what this is earlier,’ and that leads to lives saved.”
Baptist Health Louisville is also taking part in the Impact of Knowing campaign, a national initiative aimed at helping patients recognize the warning signs of lung cancer and connect with a local physician for screening.
Through the campaign, patients can find information on lung health and connect directly with a physician who offers the Ion procedure by visiting Baptist Health Louisville website or through resources such as IonbyIntuitive.com.
