Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 3, 2026
Author Spotlight: Expanding Interventional Pulmonology Research with Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy
Published on: July 19, 2024
Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy for lung nodules and masses - can it replace CT-guided transthoracic biopsy?
Justine Ko1, Harmeet Bedi, Jiwoon Chang
1Division of Interventional Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Purpose:
Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is a rapidly evolving tool for the diagnosis of peripheral lung nodules. This review examines literature from the past 18 months, comparing robotic-assisted bronchoscopy's performance with CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy.Recent findings: Recent studies confirm that robotic-assisted bronchoscopy has a noninferior diagnostic yield and a better safety profile than CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy. The clinical utility of robotic-assisted bronchoscopy may be further expanded by its compatibility with various biopsy tools, integrated imaging with navigation, capacity for sampling multiple lesions in a single procedure, and ongoing development of associated ablative therapies.
Summary:
Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy demonstrates a comparable diagnostic yield and a superior safety profile compared to CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy. The additional features permitted in robotic-assisted bronchoscopy may expand its clinical utility in the future.
