Southern Illinois Healthcare Unveils Robotic Technology to Boost Early Lung Cancer Detection

Southern Illinois Healthcare has introduced Ion® robotic-assisted bronchoscopy at SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. This innovation positions SIH as the only health system in the region to offer this advanced diagnostic tool, designed to detect lung cancer at its earliest stages.

“Early detection means early survival,” said Gurpreet Bambra, M.D., the pulmonologist who performed the first Ion procedures at the hospital. “When lung cancer is found at stage 1, the five-year survival rate is about 85 percent. By stage 3 or 4, that number drops to single digits. Ion helps us find and diagnose disease much sooner, when treatment is most effective.”

The Ion system uses an articulating catheter and shape-sensing technology to create a real-time 3D map of the lung, enabling physicians to reach small, hard-to-access nodules with unprecedented precision. Unlike traditional CT-guided biopsies, the minimally invasive approach reduces risks and allows most patients to return home the same day.

“Introducing the Ion system represents another defining step in our commitment to innovation and access,” said Craig Jesiolowski, administrator of SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. “Our community deserves the same level of advanced care found in major metropolitan centers. By investing in robotic technology like Ion, we’re ensuring patients across Southern Illinois can receive precise, life-saving diagnostics right here at home.”

This advancement is particularly significant for Southern Illinois, where smoking rates and lung cancer incidence exceed state and national averages. “Until now, patients often had to travel to St. Louis or beyond for this level of diagnostic care,” Dr. Bambra noted. “Having the Ion here eliminates that burden. It keeps patients close to home, near their support systems, while giving them access to state-of-the-art technology.”

LEARN MORE