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TECHNOLOGY
By Kim Anderson
IN THE BATTLE AGAINST CANCER , ANY
advantage the clinical team can find benefits the patient.
Recently, two physicians at Kootenai Health have begun
using a new piece of equipment that is giving lung cancer
patients a real advantage.
In 2011, the Kootenai Health Foundation purchased an
endobronchial ultrasound, or EBUS, as it is commonly
called. EBUS is a relatively recent advancement. It lets
physicians guide aminiature video camera and ultrasound
probe through a patient’s airways. The combined images
from the camera and the ultrasound allow physicians to
pinpoint areas of concern for biopsy with great precision.
I N S I D E A N D O U T
“In the past, we had equipment that allowed us to see
video images from inside the patient’s airways,” said
pulmonary and critical care intensivist Todd Hoopman,
M.D. “With the EBUS we can also see ultrasound images
that tell us what’s outside of the bronchial wall. This is
crucial when we need to take tissue samples from lymph
nodes in the lungs.”
Although this technology is new to pulmonary medi-
cine, it is similar to procedures radiologists have used for
some time. It’s an excellent example of howmedical ad-
vancements in one field lead to advancements in another.
Physicians are using EBUS to test patients more quickly
and accurately for cancer and other diseases, such as
pulmonary infections. During a procedure, the physi-
cian guides the EBUS down the patient’s airway. Using
the images as a guide, he or she can take tissue samples
from areas that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
“We recently biopsied a lymph node that was right by
the patient’s aorta,” Dr. Hoopman said. “I would have
never considered that an option without the EBUS ul-
trasound image as a guide.”
Tissue samples from the EBUS are tested right in the
operating room by a pathologist. Immediate results from
the tests mean fewer samples need to be collected. If the
first one shows cancer, there is no need to collect more.
B E T T E R , F A S T E R , S A F E R
“The EBUS helps us collect the best information on the
patient’s condition, so we can recommend the most ef-
fective course of treatment,” said cardiothoracic surgeon
Robert Burnett, M.D. “It is much more convenient for
our patients to have this procedure done locally.”
Having procedures such as this available locally also
provides patients with continuity of care. Drs. Hoopman
and Burnett work closely with other area physicians
and nurses. They share expertise, and together they can
develop the best treatment for cancer patients. Because
of this relationship, when Dr. Hoopman or Dr. Burnett
perform EBUS procedures they have an added advan-
tage: They are familiar with patients’ medical histories,
courses of treatment and any issues they may be having.
“The Kootenai Health Foundation was pleased to be
able to make this important care option available in our
community,” said Teri Farr, president of the Founda-
tion. “It is providing one more advancement for cancer
patients and their families.”
Robert Burnett, M.D.
Todd Hoopman, M.D.
Better Biopsies
Todd Hoopman, M.D., and Robert Burnett, M.D.
18
The winter issue of
Kootenai Health
magazine included an ar-
ticle, “Collaborating on Cures,” on how physicians and nurses
are working together to discuss treatment options for lung and
esophageal cancer patients. Two members of that group, Todd
Hoopman, M.D., and Robert Burnett, M.D., recently began us-
ing a new procedure to make accurate diagnoses more easily.
To read this article and see other back issues of
Kootenai Health
magazine, visit us online at
KootenaiHealth.org/Magazine
.