Pulmonology

What is a Pulmonologist? 

A pulmonologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions related to the respiratory system, especially the lungs.

A Collaborative Approach 

Our team of pulmonologists work closely with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care for patients with respiratory conditions. This may include collaboration with your primary care provider, our pulmonary rehabilitation team, our cancer care team, and radiologists. By working together, they can develop tailored treatment plans, monitor progress, and address any complications that may arise, improving patient outcomes.

Our pulmonology specialists provide treatment of these conditions:

• Asthma
• COPD/Emphysema/Chronic Bronchitis
• Lung Cancer
• Lung Infections and Pneumonia
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Other occupational and environmental lung diseases such as Farmer’s lung
• Lung Nodules
• Lung Tumor and Cancer

Should you be screened for lung cancer?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends yearly lung cancer screening tests for people who are in fairly good health and who meet the following criteria:

• are between the ages of 50-77.
• are a current smoker or you quit smoking within the last 15 years.
• have at least a 20-pack-year smoking history. This refers to the number of years you smoked and how much you smoked daily. If you smoked a pack a day for 20 years, you have a 20-pack-year history. If you smoked two packs a day for 10 years, you also have a 20-pack-year history.

If this applies to you, talk with your primary care provider about screening for lung cancer.

How do we screen for lung cancer?

A low-dose CT scan can help find abnormalities in the lungs that may be cancer. Studies have shown that using low-dose CT scans to screen people for lung cancer saves more lives than using chest x-rays. That’s because a CT scan produces detailed, cross-sectional images of the lung that can find small  abnormalities better than a chest x-ray.

Advancing Lung Care

If a suspicious lung nodule is found during your screening, our physician may recommend robotic-assisted bronchoscopy. Robotic Bronchoscopy is a cutting-edge medical procedure that utilizes robotic technology and allows physicians to visualize and biopsy remote parts of the lung that have been previously inaccessible. This minimally invasive procedure enables physicians to examine the airways of the lung.

The Benefits

Detecting lung cancer early on can significantly improve outcomes. Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy allows our physicians to biopsy tight spaces and narrow airways that previously were unable to be biopsied on patients, which allows us to catch it sooner.