Interventional Pulmonology

Interventional Pulmonology

Interventional pulmonologists are specially trained in advanced procedures to offer you less invasive options compared to traditional surgery. Interventional pulmonology is often significant in the treatment of lung cancer and lung transplant patients.

Penn Medicine is one of the nation's oldest and most advanced providers of interventional pulmonology services. Penn's interventional pulmonologists value your patient experience and work collaboratively with pulmonary medicine, critical care, allergy, thoracic surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, otorhinolaryngology, and transplant specialists to give you optimal results.

Sophisticated Procedures for Difficult Conditions

Surgery isn't always the only option when you’re facing a complex lung condition. To make an accurate diagnosis or treat a difficult illness, the Harron Lung Center offers advanced procedures which are less invasive than other surgical options. Some of the procedures available are listed below.

• EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound) and navigational bronchoscopy utilizes state-of-the-art equipment to find small pulmonary nodules, masses or lymph nodes for biopsy.  With these minimally invasive biopsies, we can make an accurate diagnosis and develop a personalized treatment plan.  In many instances, you can avoid a more invasive surgical biopsy. 
• Laser bronchoscopy is a procedure used to clear malignant and benign airway obstructions. A bronchoscope is inserted into your airway and then a laser destroys the obstruction. We perform between 50 and 100 laser bronchoscopic procedures each year.
• Endobronchial stenting is a technique in which a stent is inserted in your central airway to keep it open and allow you to breathe easier. This procedure is performed under conscious sedation or general anesthesia, depending on your needs and condition. The Harron Lung Center's Interventional Pulmonology Program is one of the highest volume centers in country performing endobronchial stenting. 
• Endobronchial brachytherapy is the delivery of internal radiation therapy for the treatment of recurrent cancers of the airway. The Harron Lung Center offers both low-dose and high-dose brachytherapy for select patients with malignant airway disorders.
• LIFE-Lung fluorescence bronchoscopy is used for the early detection of endobronchial lung cancer. Interventional pulmonologists expose your abnormal lung tissue to light and are able to detect abnormalities that may not appear in other diagnostic tests. When detected at an early stage, these cancers may be more amenable to non-surgical treatment.