What is interventional pulmonology?

We diagnose and treat patients with diseases of the lungs, airways and chest using minimally invasive techniques called interventional pulmonology. These procedures give doctors a way to biopsy and stage cancer in one procedure, instead of multiple invasive surgeries. That can lead to earlier diagnosis and less time between an abnormal lung screening and the start of treatment.

How interventional pulmonology works

Our lung specialist, or interventional pulmonologist, inserts a thin, tube-like instrument called an bronchoscope into the airways to look inside the lungs, esophagus and chest. If abnormal areas or blockages are found, they can remove growths, biopsy tissue samples or open blocked airways.

Specialized services for breathing disorders and diseases

Interventional procedures give us less invasive ways to help you get the treatment and care you need for lung cancer or other diseases. Patients recover faster with less pain and fewer complications than with invasive surgeries.

• Rigid bronchoscopy allows doctors to look inside the main airways of the lungs, take biopsies, control bleeding and remove blockages.
• Navigational bronchoscopy uses image-guided techniques to map paths to hard-to-reach areas of the lungs for diagnosis, staging and treatment.
• Endobronchial ultrasound uses a flexible tube with tiny instruments at the end to diagnose and stage diseases and cancer in the lungs and nearby lymph nodes. This minimally invasive procedure is typically performed in an outpatient setting.
• Endoscopic ablation removes small nodules on the lining of the lungs using heat energy delivered through a thin, flexible tube, called an endoscope.
• Cryotherapy biopsy and ablation use a freezing process to remove lung tissue for diagnosis or destroy tumor cells that may block an airway.
• Airway stents and dilation keep a narrow or blocked airway open with a hollow tube, called a stent, to make breathing easier.

Pulmonary rehabilitation

Based on your condition, a pulmonary rehabilitation program may help improve your breathing and reduce related respiratory problems. Our rehabilitation team can design and monitor a program specifically for your needs to help you breathe better.

Help to kick a tobacco habit

If you smoke or use tobacco, you probably already know that the best thing you can do for your health is to stop. We offer a free smoking cessation program to help you quit permanently. This program focuses on the addictive aspects of nicotine as well as the mental, physical and social factors related to tobacco use.