100 Advanced Lung Care Procedures — and Counting
Adventist Health Glendale reaches major milestone in lung care: the completion of its 100th robotic bronchoscopy using the Ion™ system. This minimally invasive procedure helps doctors find answers faster for patients with suspicious spots on their lungs — often long before symptoms appear.
When a scan reveals a small spot or “nodule” in the lungs, waiting for answers can be one of the most stressful experiences a patient and family will face. Adventist Health Glendale is working to shorten that wait and bring clarity sooner. Only a year after performing its first robotic bronchoscopy in September 2024, the hospital has now completed its 100th procedure using the state-of-the-art Ion robotic bronchoscopy system.
Traditional bronchoscopy relies on manually guiding a flexible tube through the airways to reach an area of concern. With robotic bronchoscopy, the process is much more precise. A CT scan creates a 3D map of the patient’s lungs. Using that map, the care team plans the safest, most direct route to the nodule. Then, a thin, highly maneuverable catheter attached to a robotic arm helps the physician navigate tight turns and hard-to-reach areas deep within the lung.
“Robotic bronchoscopy is very important for patient care and for our goal of early diagnosis of lung cancer,” said interventional pulmonologist Ramyar Mahdavi, MD. “Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and around the world. With the Ion system, we can obtain highly precise results through minimally invasive procedures, which means more accurate diagnoses in a shorter period — and better chances for survival when cancer is found early.”
Patients who undergo robotic bronchoscopy typically experience less bleeding, a lower risk of infection or lung puncture, and a faster return to normal activities compared with traditional bronchoscopy. For patients who are already coping with other health issues, those benefits can make a big difference.
For Glendale and surrounding communities, having this technology close to home is equally important. “Before we had Ion, many of our patients had to travel to different tertiary care centers across the region,” shared pulmonologist and critical care specialist Arin Aboulian, MD, who championed bringing Ion to Adventist Health Glendale in 2024. “Unfortunately, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle at a large center. Here, we can quickly complete their workup and connect them with local oncologists, thoracic surgeons or radiation oncologists so they can start treatment as soon as possible.”
Not every lung nodule turns out to be cancer, and for those patients, a clear answer can be just as important. “When the biopsy shows an infection or another non-cancerous cause, patients gain peace of mind knowing it’s not malignant,” Dr. Aboulian added. “Having Ion here has essentially put us on par with major university centers in terms of what we can offer —without patients having to leave their community.”
The technology is also helping attract top specialists who want to practice in an advanced, forward-looking program. “When I was looking for a position, I knew I wanted to join a hospital system that already had the Ion in place,” said pulmonary and critical care physician David Wilhoite, MD, who joined the team in summer 2025. “I knew its capabilities from my training. It’s a technology that is saving lives with more rapid diagnosis and staging, especially when we combine it with ultrasound-based tools. Now, we’re using the word ‘cure’ with lung cancer more often — and that isn’t something we were able to say about this disease very much in the past.”
Together, Drs. Mahdavi, Aboulian, Wilhoite and the pulmonology experts at Adventist Health Glendale are building a comprehensive lung program that brings advanced diagnostics and coordinated follow-up care under one roof.
What Patients Can Expect
Most patients are referred for robotic bronchoscopy after a chest CT shows a nodule or suspicious area. The procedure is performed under anesthesia, so patients are comfortable and do not feel the scope. Using the 3D map and robotic arm, the physician guides the thin catheter into the lungs, takes a small tissue sample (biopsy) of the nodule, and sends it to the lab for analysis. Many patients go home the same day or the next morning.
Next Steps for Patients and Families
If you or a loved one has been told you have a lung nodule or are at high risk for lung cancer because of age, smoking history or other factors, ask your doctor whether robotic bronchoscopy at Adventist Health Glendale might be appropriate.
Learn more about Adventist Health Glendale’s Interventional Pulmonology, or to find a physician, visit our lung care services page or call 818-409-8000.
From left to right – Adventist Health Glendale’s robotic bronchoscopy experts Arin Aboulian, MD, Ramyar Mahdavi, MD, and David Wilhoite, MD, pictured with the Ion system.
