Baptist Health Paducah pulmonologists reach 500 Robotic Assisted Lung Biopsies

PADUCAH, KY (Dec. 11, 2025) – Baptist Health pulmonologists, Keith Kelly, MD, and Brentley Frossard, DO, recently achieved a significant milestone of completing 500 successful ION Bronchoscopy procedures.

Thanks to their dedication and the power of advanced ION Robotic Bronchoscopy technology, more patients in western Kentucky have received earlier, more accurate lung cancer diagnoses, which has given them a greater chance at better outcomes and more time with the people they love.

Early detection of lung cancer saves lives, and Baptist Health Paducah is proud to offer the innovative technology that enhances diagnostic precision with the ION, for earlier and more accurate lung diagnosis.

“If we are more proactive with our new technology that we have available, we can identify and diagnose and treat patients who have cancer at a much earlier stage, which saves lives,” said Dr. Kelly. “The earlier you can diagnose it, the earlier you can treat it, the more likelihood it's going to be curative.”

The ION uses an ultra-thin, flexible catheter, that drives robotically anywhere in the lung and uses a "GPS" navigational system, going through the nose or mouth and through narrow airways in the lung to the lesion. Its purpose is to diagnose lung cancer by getting to small lung nodules on the periphery of the lung where lung cancer begins. When found early, lung cancer is more treatable and greatly increases survivability.

Once the abnormal nodule is reached, the catheter is locked into place, and a needle collects tissue from the mass or nodule to test if it is malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous). The outpatient procedure, performed under general anesthesia, takes one to two hours. Patients usually go home the same day, with some soreness or numbness in their mouth and throat.

The robotic approach is beneficial for those with other health concerns, such as severe lung disease or active smoking, both of which can increase infection risk or other rare complications associated with more traditional biopsy options.

Ion is made by Intuitive, the company that makes the da Vinci surgical system, and is built on more than two decades of expertise and innovation in robotic-assisted technology.

For more information about this new technology, talk with your primary care provider or to make an appointment with a Baptist Health Medical Group primary care provider, visit www.baptisthealth.com.