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Interventional Pulmonology

Interventional Pulmonology

Interventional pulmonology (IP), an advanced subspecialty of pulmonary medicine, focuses on using minimally invasive procedures and therapeutic techniques to diagnose and treat conditions in the lungs and chest. IP procedures yield exceptional outcomes and offer patients the potential advantage of avoiding more invasive surgery.

Our interventional pulmonologists, Anil Magge, MD and Amrita Karambelkar, MD, works hand-in-hand with an expert team of thoracic surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists and respiratory therapists to successfully manage complex airway and pleural diseases, including lung cancer and non-malignant diseases of the chest.

We offer state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment and the highest quality of care for patients with advanced airway and pleural disease.

Central Airway Program

Obstruction and stenosis of the trachea and central bronchial airways can limit your ability to breathe and perform everyday tasks. This can happen with cancer where a tumor is compressing or growing within the trachea and bronchus and with non-cancerous obstructions such as stenosis or scarring. This can also be caused by infections, inflammatory diseases, or complications from treatments like endotracheal intubation and tracheostomies.

Our Central Airway Program removes obstructing tissue through bronchoscopic procedures like:Surgery room

  • Argon Plasma Coagulation
  • Cryotherapy
  • Cryospray
  • Electrosurgery
  • LASER
  • Photodynamic therapy
  • Rigid bronchoscopy

We can also place or remove airway stents (silicone, metallic, Y stents, iCast, Bioabsorbable, 3D customized stents), tracheostomy tubes, and Montgomery t-tubes/cannulas to help patients breathe comfortably.

Pleural Disease Program

The pleura is a thin sheet of tissue that surrounds the outside of your lungs. Pleural disease can cause fluid buildup in the chest, making it difficult to breathe which causes other symptoms like coughing and chest pain. This disease is a common condition for many patients with cardiac, liver, and renal disease, as well as numerous types of cancer.

In addition to fluid buildup, patients can have air leak into the chest cavity also known as pneumothorax.

Our program offers a comprehensive pleural care service and we perform in-clinic procedures to relieve patient symptoms and preventive measures to help keep patients out of the hospital. We perform:

  • Thoracentesis
  • Chest tube placement
  • Tunneled or indwelling pleural catheters

For patients requiring further workup, patients can be taken to the operating room for:

  • Medical thoracoscopy with pleural biopsies
  • Pleurodesis

Tracheobronchomalacia Program

Tracheobronchomalacia is a condition where the cartilage in the trachea and bronchi are weakened, making it difficult to breathe. Tracheobronchomalacia symptoms include persistent cough, loss of breath, and recurrent respiratory infections.

Our Tracheobronchomalacia Program can help identify these conditions using state-of-art diagnostic procedures. We work closely with our interdisciplinary team to treat this condition with airway stents and collaborate with our thoracic surgery team to consider surgical approaches to stabilize the trachea and airways.

Interventional Pulmonology (IP) is an advanced subspecialty of pulmonary medicine focuses on using minimally invasive procedures and therapeutic techniques to diagnose and treat conditions in the lungs and chest. IP procedures yield exceptional outcomes and offer patients the potential advantage of avoiding more invasive surgery.

Conditions We Treat

  • Airway obstruction
  • Airway malacia (Tracheobronchomalacia)
  • Airway stenosis
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Emphysema
  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Foreign body removal from the trachea and airways
  • Hemoptysis
  • Lung cancer
  • Lung nodules
  • Pleural Effusions (cancerous and non-cancerous)
  • Pneumothorax
  • Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
  • Severe asthma
 

We specialize in diagnosing and caring for patients with lung and airway conditions. Our physicians use minimally invasive tools and techniques to treat parts of the lungs that previously were accessible only through traditional surgery. We see patients with a wide variety of conditions, including lung cancer, sarcoidosis, pleural effusion, airway strictures and other noncancerous lung conditions.

Procedures We Offer

  • Airway Stents (Silicone, metallic, Y stent, Bioabsorbable, customized)
  • Balloon Airway Dilation
  • Bronchoscopy (flexible, rigid, robotic-assisted, ENB, EBUS, EUS-b)
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage
  • Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction (BLVR)
  • Bronchoscopic Thermoplasty
  • Chest tube (pigtail, surgical)
  • Cryobiopsy
  • Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy (ENB)
  • Endobronchial Ultrasound System (EBUS)
  • Esophageal Ultrasound-bronchoscopy (EUS-b)
  • Fiducial Marker Placement/Pleural Tattooing
  • Foreign Body Removal
  • Lung and Lymph Node Biopsies
  • Tracheal T-tube
  • Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement (PEG)
  • Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
  • Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy
  • Thoracoscopy/Pleuroscopy
  • Thoracentesis
  • Tracheostomy
  • Tumor Removal with Rigid bronchoscopy, Argon Plasma Coagulation, Cryotherapy, Electrocautery, and Laser Therapy
  • Tunneled (Indwelling) Pleural Catheters
  • Whole Lung Lavage
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For more information about Trinity Health Of New England’s Interventional Pulmonology services, please call 860-714-4055 for Saint Francis Hospital or Saint Mary's Hospital.