The CT scans are picking up lung abnormalities much earlier — an amazing advance for the early treatment of lung cancer — so a lot more patients are being referred to us. During the last decade, our practice has seen a tripling of patients who need diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
State-of-the-Art Bronchoscopy Suite Opens at Moses Campus
June 09, 2022
Montefiore Einstein’s new Bronchoscopy Suite is up and running, fully equipped with the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, which will have a major impact on screening for lung cancer and other lung diseases.
With lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, and with recently updated guidelines for lung cancer screenings by the U.S. Preventive Task Force Services, the suite is opening at the perfect time. It is now recommended that all adults who smoke or have quit within the past 15 years, and are between the ages of 50 and 80, should get CT lung cancer screenings every year.
Doctors are on track to perform around 1,400 advanced procedures in the suite this year.
Chirag D. Shah, MD
Housed at the Montefiore Einstein Moses campus within the General Endoscopy Suite, the Bronchoscopy Suite includes:
- Cutting-edge bronchoscopy equipment from Olympus, including endoscopic ultrasound allowing visualization of lung tissue that can be biopsied in real time.
- Minimally invasive robotics-based technology that enables physicians to secure tissue samples for biopsy from deep within the lung, where most nodules are found.
- Incorporation of real-time endobronchial ultrasound (linear and radial).
- An advanced X-ray system utilizing 3D fluoroscopy — the first suite in New York State to house this dedicated technology.
- Electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy, using high-resolution CT scans to create virtual maps to lung nodules.
- 4K monitors throughout the room enabling physicians to view multiple sources of information.
- A rigid bronchoscopy system using high-resolution cameras, allowing for the most advanced airway securing and debulking procedures in an endoscopy suite — the first integration of traditional operating room technology in New York State.
The suite is designed as a flexible space where doctors can perform a variety of procedures, including CT scans and biopsies, in an outpatient setting.
It solidifies Montefiore Einstein’s commitment to offering patients the most advanced integrative approach to lung cancer screening and management. If an abnormality is detected on a CT scan, a team of interventional pulmonologists, in conjunction with colleagues from thoracic surgery, decide about the best approach to comprehensively evaluate the patient. This approach is among the most efficient “nodule to treatment” management in New York City, far exceeding the national standards set by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
The Bronchoscopy Suite is an important link in the chain and helps coordinate lung cancer screening for the entire Montefiore Health System. The radiology service, located within the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center (MECC), screens the patient via CT scan. If there is a mass detected, the patient is referred to interventional pulmonology for advanced testing with bronchoscopy. If that shows the mass is malignant, the patient is then referred to a thoracic cancer specialist. This seamless approach will help patients get the care they need under one roof without delay.
“This is a real boon to how we provide care,” added Shah. “It greatly enhances our ability to identify even the smallest lesions, which is key to improving health outcomes, especially with a disease like lung cancer. It’s taking interventional pulmonology to a whole new level, and it enables us to treat our patients in the best way possible.”
Physicians can refer patients to see one of the pulmonologists at the MECC.
