Oroville Hospital has recently acquired a new piece of technology, the Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) for guided lung biopsies. The procedure is the least invasive and most advanced way of accessing masses and lymph nodes in the chest. This test differentiates cancer, particularly lung cancer from benign (non-cancerous) conditions without surgery. It is performed as an outpatient procedure through the mouth, leaves no scarring, and is ultimately painless.
Dr. Sidharth Bagga, pulmonary specialist at the hospital, is the physician who performs the procedure and was a pioneer in bringing this new technology to the community. He recently joined Oroville Hospital’s Pulmonary Care Practice in 2012. Dr. Bagga is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary, and Board Eligible in Critical Care.
“We are the only ones in this area to perform radial endobronchial ultrasound guided biopsies. With the acquisition of the EBUS, the da Vinci Si surgical robot, and the open source electronic health records, you can see how dedicated Oroville Hospital is to providing the community with the most innovative and most advance technologies available. I am happy to be a part of it,” stated Dr. Bagga.
EBUS is performed at the hospital in the bronchoscopy suite. It is a method used for increasing the diagnostic accuracy and minimizes risk of procedures performed within the lungs. The EBUS allows for direct visualization within the inside of the upper airway and the tracheobronchial tree. This allows the physician to collect a sampling of the respiration tract secretions and cells, and biopsy of the airway, lung, and mediastinal structures. The scope’s innovative design enables physicians to visualize lymph nodes and surrounding vessels in real-time under ultrasound, while reducing the need for surgical staging.
Conditions that may require the use of the EBUS include lung nodules, infection, diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Benefits can include instant diagnosis and quicker, possibly curative, treatments. Patients no longer have to go out of town to get this procedure preformed. Patients interested in having this procedure can make an appointment with Dr. Bagga at his office located at 2809 Olive Highway in Suite 350 by calling 532-8654.