Procedural times with robotic-assisted bronchoscopy: a high volume single-center study

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Interventional Pulmonology
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Pulmonary nodules are frequently detected incidentally or through screening.
• Advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy capabilities are expanding, leading to increased procedural volumes for bronchoscopists.
• Optimizing procedural scheduling and workflow is essential to accommodate these advancements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the total time spent in the procedure room.
• To analyze total bronchoscopy procedure time.
• To evaluate robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) procedure time longitudinally and by specific procedure.

Main Methods:

• A single-center observational study was conducted.
• Consecutive patients undergoing shape-sensing RAB for pulmonary lesion evaluation were included.
• Chart review collected data on patient demographics, lesion characteristics, and procedural specifics.

Main Results:

• While actual bronchoscopy time may decrease with experience, non-bronchoscopy related time in the procedure room is difficult to reduce.
• Technologies such as cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), and endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) increase procedural time.
• The integration of multiple advanced modalities requires careful time allocation.

Conclusions:

• Procedural block times must adapt to advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy, incorporating modalities like RAB, CBCT, ROSE, and EBUS.
• Identifying median procedural times can aid in optimizing scheduling and block time utilization.
• Workflow adjustments are necessary to efficiently integrate new diagnostic technologies in pulmonology.