Today Deborah Heart and Lung Center pulmonologist Zeeshan Khan, DO, performed the hospital’s first robotic bronchoscopy for lung cancer detection, making Deborah among the first in the region with this new technology.

This joint new venture between the cardiothoracic and pulmonary teams at Deborah Heart and Lung Center is the latest tool in Deborah’s arsenal for detecting and treating lung cancers. The new Monarch system offers patients the most comprehensive and thorough diagnostic tool available able to detect even the smallest of lesions in the lungs, and in the furthest corners of the lobes.

Explained Dr. Khan along with Deborah’s Director of Thoracic Surgery, Joseph Costic, DO, both of whom will be using the new system, the robotic bronchoscopy system offers numerous advantages.

“When we suspect a lesion in the lungs, perhaps because we’ve seen a small nodule in repeated CT scans, we need to go in and take a thorough look. Regular bronchoscopy only goes so far into the lungs. This new robotic device can navigate into the smallest spaces in the farthest reaches of the lungs, and with its navigation light, it allows us to directly examine any masses we find,” said Dr. Costic.

Dr. Khan added: “The companion tower monitor provides top-quality images transmitted from the robotic scope.”

“We will also be able to take a biopsy at the same time if we see something,” noted Dr. Costic. “This allows for a much earlier diagnosis which in the case of lung cancer means we can move that much quicker into treatment.”

“And with lung cancer, the sooner we begin treatment, the better the outcome.” Dr. Khan added.

Other Deborah tests such as endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), a long-standing diagnostic tool for finding lung masses, will continue to be valuable mainstay in the fight against cancer and will still be the standard of care for studying nodules in the main airway.

This new equipment acquisition is a key component for Deborah’s growing Multi-Disciplinary Oncology Clinic practice. As a superior diagnostic tool, robotic bronchoscopy offers patients the fastest and most accurate look into troublesome nodules, quickly providing patients with the answer to the question, do I have lung cancer or not? Deborah has now increased its ability to rapidly either confirm the presence of cancer and immediately begin a treatment plan, or give patients peace of mind with an all-clear diagnosis.

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Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, NJ is an 89-bed teaching hospital that specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, research, and treatment of heart, lung, and vascular diseases. Founded in 1922, Deborah has been a regional and nationally recognized leader throughout its 100-year history, during which time it has healed 2.3 million patients from every corner of the United States and 87 countries in the world. From performing the first open heart surgeries (adult and pediatric) in New Jersey, to running one of the highest volume left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) implant programs in the region, Deborah has stood at the forefront of medical innovation, all while never wavering from its founding mission “there is no price on life.” Deborah is consistently recognized as a leader in patient care from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ranked among the top hospitals in New Jersey for patient satisfaction; holds a top-tier Society of Thoracic Surgeons rating which places Deborah among the best cardiac surgery programs in the country; and is designated a national Top Teaching Hospital by The Leapfrog Group. Deborah is an Alliance member of the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.