Robotic assisted-bronchoscopy: technical tips and lessons learned from the initial experience with sampling...

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Peripheral pulmonary nodules are frequently detected during lung cancer screening or malignancy progression.
• Current diagnostic methods like surgery, CT-guided biopsy, or bronchoscopy have limitations.
• Existing advanced bronchoscopic techniques show suboptimal diagnostic yields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To codify the technique for diagnostic bronchoscopy using a new robotic platform.
• To introduce robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) for peripheral lung lesion sampling.

Main Methods:

• Description of the technique for robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) using the Monarch™ platform.
• Detailed illustration of team training, patient selection, and anesthesia settings.
• Guidance on optimal tissue acquisition, processing, and complication prevention.

Main Results:

• The report details the practical application of RAB for peripheral lung lesions.
• Key aspects of the procedure, including team training and tissue handling, are presented.

Conclusions:

• Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) shows potential benefits for patients needing biopsies of peripheral lung lesions.
• RAB may be valuable for pre-surgical planning, stereotactic radiation, and immunotherapy selection.