Nellis Surgeon Performs Bronchoscopy

This patient is undergoing a surgical procedure to have a mass in his lungs examined for cancer. Instead of using a scalpel, his doctor, Major Jeremy Kilburn, will use a procedure new to the Mike O’callaghan Federal Medical Center. “It’s called a bronchoscopy. What we do is, we give the patient some sedation through his IV. Then we, once he’s asleep, we go down through his mouth into his trachea, his windpipe, and we look for the abnormal areas that we see on the CT scan that were the reason for the procedure.” In addition to this procedure, the medical center has a new technology that gives doctors a unique view into the human body. “And it’s endobrochial ultrasound. Which basically means there’s an ultrasound probe attached to the end of the bronchoscope and that lets us kind of see into the actual airway itself, past what you can see with just regular visualization.” “I think it’s a fantastic thing. Doctor Kilburn has done hundreds of these in civilian life, but this is only the second or third one he’s done here, in the Air Force. So, it’s a darn good thing.” With this procedure complete, Mister Leonard’s recovery is just two days of a sore throat, allowing him to quickly get back to one of his favorite activities. Nat sound singing “It’s so much nicer to talk to patients and talk to families, knowing that the care we’re providing is literally second to none and absolutely state of the art.” New procedures and new technology are just some of the tools Major Kilburn and his team are using to improve the lives of patients. Air Force Staff Sergeant Anthony Kuhn, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.