Interventional Pulmonology

Interventional Pulmonology

For patients with complex lung diseases, our team is trained in advanced procedures to offer you less invasive options compared to traditional surgery. Interventional pulmonology is often important in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer. Interventional Pulmonology at the Harron Lung Center also provides diagnosis and management of other complex pulmonary and pleural conditions such as benign central airway disease (tracheobronchial stenosis, tracheobronchomalacia), pleural effusion, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and plastic bronchitis.

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 best option when you’re facing a complex lung condition. To make an accurate diagnosis or treat a difficult illness, the Interventional Pulmonary team at The Harron Lung Center offers advanced procedures which are less invasive than other surgical options.

• Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and navigational bronchoscopy utilizes state-of-the-art equipment to find small pulmonary nodules, masses or lymph nodes for biopsy. Our current navigation equipment, Archimedes, can access small nodules with or without an approaching airway. 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, cryotherapy and argon plasma coagulation are procedures used to clear malignant and benign airway obstructions. A bronchoscope is inserted into your airway and then the thermal device destroys the obstruction. We perform over 200 thermal ablative bronchoscopic procedures each year.
• Airway (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 the country performing endobronchial stenting.
• Tunneled pleural catheter insertion is a component of our comprehensive management for malignant pleural disease. We also perform diagnostic and therapeutic thoracentesis on an urgent basis for treatment of dyspnea related to pleural fluid.