Lung Disease Detection
If you've been told you have a spot on your lung, a lung nodule, or a lung mass, you will need a lung biopsy. During a lung biopsy, physicians take a tissue sample in order to make an accurate diagnosis. It may sound scary, but finding spots on your lung when they are small may have advantages. Research performed by the American College of Chest Physicians shows most small lung spots turn out not to be cancer and could be an infection or scar tissue from a previous infection.
Traditionally doctors used a procedure called bronchoscopy to perfom a lung biopsy. During a bronchoscopy, a thick but flexible tube is used to examine the inside of the air passages and take a small tissue sample for analysis. Standard bronchoscopies only allow doctors to reach spots that are close to the main airways.
Bayfront Health offers a navigation system with GPS-like technology that allows physicians to navigate and access difficult-to-reach areas of the lung from the inside. This system can aid in early diagnosis and help your physician plan your treatment.
Traditional bronchoscopy typically allows access only to the center regions of the lung. With this new navigation system and its specialized GPS technology, our physicians can navigate to the outer areas of the lung during the procedure.
Ask your doctor is this procedure may be right for you.
Resources
National Lung Association
American College of Chest Physicians