Community support brings new lung diagnostic equipment to Bendigo Health
Thanks to the generous support of our community, Bendigo Health Foundation has funded the purchase of a new radial EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound) probe, allowing more patients to access an important lung diagnostic procedure closer to home.
The new 1.7mm probe can reach smaller airways that may not be accessible with a standard 5mm bronchoscope. This improves the accuracy of diagnostic results by up to 45%, reducing the number of patients who need to travel to Melbourne for further investigation and helping patients receive a diagnosis and begin treatment sooner.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Australia, making early and accurate diagnosis particularly important.
With the introduction of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program at Bendigo Health, more people in our community are being identified as requiring further investigation. Having access to this new technology at Bendigo Health will help meet this growing need and provide more patients with access to care closer to home.
Anthony Yau, Clinical Unit Head of Respiratory Medicine, said the new program would help clinicians diagnose and treat patients earlier.
“With this new program and investigation model, we can diagnose patients at an early stage and initiate treatment earlier. The alternative was to refer patients to Melbourne. Early diagnosis means better outcomes.”
The new radial EBUS probe is an important addition to Bendigo Health’s respiratory services and is another example of how community support can help bring advanced healthcare closer to home for people across the region.