Sentara is among few Virginia hospitals performing new ENB procedure
Norfolk, VA (December 20, 2011) Two Sentara hospitals are among few in Virginia performing a new procedure using a GPS-like system to locate, test, and mark spots on the lung. Using this new navigation tool much like your car's GPS system, doctors at Sentara are provided a road map to better find, diagnose and mark spots on the lung for precision treatment later, either via surgery or radiation therapy using CyberKnife®.Physicians at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center are among the first in the Hampton Roads region and among few in Virginia offering patients this new outpatient procedure called electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy.™Using this new system Sentara pulmonologists snake a catheter through a patient’s nose and airways to reach some of the deepest tissue of the lungs. Once the questionable tissue is found in the lung, doctors rely on the fast work of specialized pathologists within the Sentara Cancer Network working in the procedure room for diagnosis. Within minutes, it’s known whether the spot on the lung is cancer or not. Previously, patients would have needed one or more procedures to learn of their condition and options including major surgery to remove a portion of the lung, bronchoscopy which does not reach areas deep in the lung, needle biopsy or watchful waiting. Related Links:Sentara Norfolk General HospitalSentara PulmonologistsSentara Cancer Network
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