Interventional Pulmonary Care

Conditions we diagnose and treat

• Airway obstruction
• Emphysema
• Foreign body removal (inhaled objects)
• Lung nodules/masses
• Infection in the lung
• Mediastinal and hilar adenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes)
• Pleural effusions (fluid around the lung)
• Pneumothorax
• Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
• Tracheal and bronchial stenosis
• Tracheobronchomalacia (central airway collapse)

Services we offer

Interventional pulmonology plays an integral role in multiple advanced lung disease programs.

• Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with Zephyr® valves
• Lung cancer screening
• Lung cancer diagnosis and treatment and collaborative efforts with our NCI-designated cancer center
• Tobacco cessation

Airway procedures

Diagnostic bronchoscopy

• Linear Endobronchial ultrasound for lymph node and mediastinal mass sampling
• Robotic bronchoscopy for diagnosis of lung nodules and masses
• Endobronchial biopsies
• Lung cancer diagnosis and staging
• Transbronchial cryobiopsy for interstitial lung disease

Therapeutic bronchoscopy

• Tumor destruction
  • Argon plasma coagulation
  • Cryotherapy
  • Electrocautery
  • Laser
  • Mechanical
• Rigid bronchoscopy
• Balloon dilation
• Metallic and silicone stent placement
• Endobronchial injections (steroid and others)
• Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with Zephyr® valves
• Dye marking
• Fiducial marker placement
• Percutaneous tracheostomy
• Whole lung lavage

Pleural procedures

• Chest ultrasound
• Thoracentesis
• Chest tube placement
• Indwelling pleural catheter placement
• Thoracoscopy, pleural biopsy, and chemical pleurodesis
• Management of bronchopleural/alveolopleural fistulas

Pulmonary and critical care fellows at IU School of Medicine get hands-on training in the full range of advanced bronchoscopy and interventional pulmonary procedures listed above. They are the sole focus as trainees and have exposure to a breadth and depth of procedures typically reserved for interventional pulmonary fellows. The variety of experiences are spread out across four campuses (IU Health Methodist Hospital, IU Health University Hospital, Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital and Richard L. Roudebush Indianapolis VA Medical Center). By late 2027 many of these interventional pulmonary procedures will be done in the newly constructed IU Health hospital in downtown Indianapolis, a world-class medical campus that will serve as a destination of excellence for Hoosiers and beyond.