India’s profound government-funded hospital AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) is now equipped with Virtual Bronchoscopy Navigation (VBN), the machine is known for its working on tracing pathway of bronchi and attached organelles. The machine helps in diagnosing the respiratory disorder. And will ultimately lead to better treatment.
On Thursday AIIMS declared that it had become country’s first hospital to set up Virtual Bronchoscopy Navigation (VBN). This VBN will help in diagnosis and treatment of patients with small tumour-like spots in the lungs. These spots can lead to cancer, and hence VBN is helpful in securing people from cancer.
Professor Anat Mohan said, “The Virtual Bronchoscopy Navigation system was installed in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders at AIIMS, New Delhi on April 23, 2018, and four initial patients underwent the procedure successfully.”
Professor of Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders said lungs diseases are increasing day by day and a large number of people are being diagnosed with some abnormal areas in the lungs which are apparently visible in X-rays and CT scan. This kind of deformities can be treated more precisely with the help of this newly added VBN. He said “These small lung lesions can very commonly be lung cancer and if not diagnosed on time, they can increase in size and cancer can spread to other body parts,” and this could be helpful in treating diseases like TB.
AIIMS spokesperson Mr Karan Madan described that it’s hard to diagnose a disease just with the abnormal areas and patches inside the lungs with the help of X-rays and CT-Scans and for that this VBN is helpful. This VBN will provide an image-guided biopsy which is needed to puncture the chest wall to reach the spot.
Now let’s understand how this VBN works:
To get an image-guided biopsy of small lung lesions, this VBN works along with CT scan. The VBN creates image samples of lung sessions using a bronchoscope after a 3D view of the windpipe using a CT scan image. Thus concluded biopsy will result reducing the act of puncturing the lungs and reducing complications as said by Madan.
VBN has raised the chances of correct diagnosis from 65 percent to 90 percent, and this will help in avoiding a regular diagnosis of lungs disorders. The machine will also allow diagnosis of TB and cancer at early stages.
“Most of the patients with lung cancer come late or in advanced stages of the disease, in which case only a limited number of treatment options can be offered to the patients. If the disease is diagnosed early, definitive treatment can be offered, and cure rates can be improved” as said by Mr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director.
