Prime Highlights
- Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi launched the Middle East’s first robotically assisted bronchoscopy system.
- The technology enables earlier and more accurate diagnosis of hard-to-reach lung nodules.
Key Facts
- The MONARCH platform supports minimally invasive lung biopsies without open surgery.
- The system can help diagnose lung cancer, infections and other lung diseases.
Background
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has introduced the Middle East’s first robotically assisted bronchoscopy system, expanding access to advanced lung diagnostics and enabling doctors to detect and biopsy small lung nodules at an earlier stage without the need for open surgery.
The hospital said the MONARCH platform allows physicians to guide a flexible endoscope deep into the lungs with greater precision and stability. The technology helps doctors reach hard-to-access lung nodules in real time, improving diagnostic accuracy and allowing treatment to begin sooner when needed.
The minimally invasive procedure is performed under general anaesthesia and typically takes between 30 and 75 minutes. The hospital said patients benefit from a safer procedure, faster recovery and more accurate diagnosis, which can improve treatment outcomes and quality of life.
The initiative is supported by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi as part of the emirate’s efforts to adopt advanced medical technologies and strengthen its focus on early detection, prevention and precision healthcare.
Besides detecting Stage 1 lung cancer, where the five-year survival rate is more than 70%, the technology can also help diagnose lung nodules caused by cancer spread, benign growths, infections such as tuberculosis and inflammatory lung diseases.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi said the robotic platform could also support future procedures, including robotic cancer surgery and the treatment of lung nodules through ablation using heat or cold therapy.
The hospital said the introduction of the technology marks another step in expanding access to minimally invasive healthcare in the region while improving early diagnosis and patient outcomes across Abu Dhabi and the wider Middle East.
