superDimension

At Dignity Health, we are committed to using the most state-of-the-art diagnostic tools available to us to make sure our patients move on to treatment as quickly as possible. That’s why our surgeons use the superDimension® inReach® system to diagnose suspicious lung lesions, or spots, quickly and safely without open surgery.

Watch a surgeon use superDimension to biopsy a lung

superDimension Improves Lung Disease Survival Rates

The superDimension® inReach® system uses a minimally invasive technology called electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy, called ENB for short. ENB detects lung disease and cancer earlier than traditional needle biopsy can, even before symptoms are evident. That means our patients get the best possible care and benefit from:

  • Better survival rates, because patients start receiving treatment much sooner
  • More treatment options available when disease is caught early on

What is Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy (ENB)?

ENB is potentially safer for patients than traditional needle biopsy because it allows your doctor to clearly see remote areas of your lungs and navigate their delicate tissues. It works like a GPS system, creating a 3-D virtual “road map” of your lungs using your CT scan. These advanced images allow your surgeon to carefully weave tiny tubes called catheters through the lungs and reach the suspected lesion.

How is superDimension Better than Traditional Bronchoscopy?

Traditional bronchoscopy requires the surgeon to use a thin, lighted tube called a bronchoscope to examine the major air passages of the lungs and biopsy, or collect small tissue samples. Bronchoscopy, however, cannot reach distant regions of the lung. In those cases, doctors must use more invasive surgical procedures to collect and test lung tissue for disease or cancer, increasing the risk of complications for patients.

Am I Candidate for superDimension?

If your X-ray, CT scan or PET CT scan found an abnormal lesion in a distant part of the lung, you may have an infection, inflammation or even cancer. The superDimension® inReach® system can be used on a wide range of patients. You may be a candidate even if:

  • You suffer from poor lung function
  • You have had cancer surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy
  • You are not a candidate for invasive surgical diagnostic procedures

Only you and your doctor can decide whether electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy is right for you.

What Are the Risks of Using Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy (ENB)?

After an electromagnetic navigation procedure, patients stay at the hospital for observation until they are awake enough to return home. The most common risk is pneumothorax (collapsed lung), which occurs in 2-3 percent of patients. This outcome is comparable to a traditional bronchoscopy.