New Ion Robot Technology Helps Detect Lung Cancer at SSUH

BAY SHORE, NY — Frank Corrigan, 71, had been sick with the flu for days when his wife convinced him to seek medical treatment.

“I couldn't lay down, so I slept basically leaning over on a stool with a pillow,” he said. “Being a guy, we avoid the doctor.”

But what he thought was an unnecessary trip to the Huntington Hospital emergency room turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

In addition to being diagnosed with pneumonia, doctors found a small lump on his lung.

This discovery not only allowed Corrigan to monitor his possible cancer at an early stage, but to become one of the first patients at South Shore University Hospital (SSUH) to have a biopsy performed by an ion lung biopsy robot.

According to Dr. Vijay Singh, Regional Director of thoracic surgery for Northwell Health/SSHU in the eastern region, the device is a cutting edge technology that obtains tissue samples from deep within the lung.

The robot is mainly used when cancer is suspected, or when a biopsy is needed to be obtained within a difficult location of the lung area.

“Lung cancer is known as probably the most delayed of all cancers in terms of being diagnosed,” said Singh.

Ion allows doctors to biopsy lesions sooner, he said, which reduces the timeline in which someone is treated and has lower complication rates than a traditional lung biopsy.

A lung biopsy can take between 90 to 120 days to confirm a diagnosis, Singh said, since a sample must be processed through a CAT scan, pulmonologists, radiologists, and internal medicine physicians.

But when using ion lung biopsy, Singh said, a patient can receive a diagnosis within 20 to 30 days.

“The technology allows almost GPS-like technologies to navigate and locate the lesion in question, without any kind of variance whatsoever,” he said. “The navigational aspect allows you to get anywhere in the lung with equal accuracy, no matter if it's central or peripheral.”

Corrigan underwent the device for his biopsy in December 2021. The procedure took about 30 to 40 minutes, and his recovery went better than expected.

“Next thing I know, I wake up. I'm not in any kind of pain,” he said. “ The only thing I would change about being in the hospital is I would pack a couple boxes of Little Debbie's.

Doctors determined that his lump “was cancerous cells” but is “mostly gone now,” as it was caught in such an early stage.

“If a doctor says you have cancer, it's like a death sentence to people. I never felt that way,” Corrigan said. “Dr. Singh was so calm about everything and he was confident. There was zero anxiety connected with this whole deal.”

Singh told Patch that this device is a breakthrough in its field, since it can be used for anyone who is in need of a lung biopsy.

SSUH is the only hospital on Long Island to have this technology, he said, which only came out on the market two to three years ago.

So far, the hospital has used the robot for at least 40 patients to date.

“ I'd say that in three to five years, the majority of the country will have it,” Singh said.

Corrigan is scheduled for a follow up appointment Dr. Singh later this month. Since his biopsy, Corrigan told Patch that he’s never felt better.

As of today, he’s glad to have listened to his wife.

“ I do hope more people take advantage of this,” he said. “If you do have something, go in, get it taken care of. The earlier, the better."