Robots Help Saint Francis Treat Lung Cancer

Saint Francis Hospital

HARTFORD, CT — A robot recently visited a Hartford-area hospital, but it wasn't a friend of C-3PO or his pal R2-D2.

Rather, Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford hosted Intuitive’s Thoracic Oncology Mobile Experience (TOME) for its first stop in New England on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

A 56-foot-long, 18-wheeler, "TOME" contains revolutionary robotic surgical systems developed by Intuitive and offers a unique way to bring awareness to referring physicians about the robotic surgery systems utilized at Saint Francis and the importance of proactive lung cancer screening.

Physicians from Saint Francis demonstrated these robotic systems, including the Ion endoluminal system, Da Vinci robotic system, and Cios Spin, which are being utilized as part of the hospital’s Thoracic Oncology Program.

The program is led by Dr. Anil Magge, director of interventional pulmonology; Dr. Stefan Kachala, chief of thoracic surgery; and Dr. Amrita Karambelkar, assistant director of interventional Pulmonology, along with a team of medical and radiation oncologists and respiratory therapists.

It is focused on expediting lung cancer care from detection to diagnosis to treatment.

“We are so proud to be chosen by Intuitive to host TOME for the first time in New England,” said Magge, one of the top single users of the Ion endoluminal system across the country.

Saint Francis was the first hospital in Connecticut to utilize the Ion system and quickly became one of the national leaders in Ion procedures.

The team has completed over 725 procedures since 2022.