Interventional pulmonologists at Temple diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions that affect the lungs, trachea and chest. They include:

• Airway obstruction due to foreign bodies
• Airway tumors
• Asthma
• Bronchial stenosis (narrowing of the airways)
• Lung nodules, tumors, masses
• Mediastinal lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes in the chest)
• Pleural effusion (excess fluid around the lungs)
• Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
• Sarcoidosis
• Tracheal stenosis (narrowing of the main windpipe)

Most interventional pulmonology treatments are done on an outpatient basis and involve general anesthesia or conscious sedation. Treatments and procedures offered by Temple’s interventional pulmonologists include:

• Airway ablation: the use of lasers or radiofrequency energy to burn away constrictions and open airways
• Airway stenting: the use of small wire coils that hold airways open and ease breathing 
• Balloon dilation: the use of a small balloon that is inflated to help widen an airway that has become narrowed
• Bronchial thermoplasty: involves heating the inside of the airways using an electrode
• Foreign body removal: the removal of inhaled foreign objects that are lodged in the airway   
• Lung or lymph node biopsy: the collection of a small piece of tissue that can be tested for cancer, infection or other conditions
• Rigid bronchoscopy: the use of a rigid metal tube that allows doctors to use more sophisticated surgical tools and techniques
• Pleuroscopy: the use of an endoscope that is inserted into the chest cavity to diagnose conditions of the pleura (the lining of the lung)