The Interventional Pulmonology Service at University of Louisville consists of a team of health professionals formally trained in advanced, minimally invasive pulmonary procedures for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of patients with diverse pulmonary conditions. This service provides both clinical and procedural expertise to patients with airway obstruction, pleural diseases, and cancer involving the lung.  The team provides a range of services including initial diagnostic evaluation of patients with pulmonary nodules or effusions to routine surveillance patients at risk of recurrent disease and the care of patients with pulmonary complications of malignancy

Diagnostic and therapeutic services offered include:

• Flexible bronchoscopy
• Rigid bronchoscopy
• Endobronchial laser
• Stent placement (silicon and wire)
• Cryotherapy
• Autofluorescence bronchoscopy
• Endobronchial ultrasound
• Chest ultrasound
• Cryotherapy
• Brachytherapy
• Bronchoplasty
• Transthoracic needle aspiration
• Medical thoracoscopy/pleuroscopy
• Chronic intrapleural catheter (Pleurx®)

As part of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Disorders, the Interventional Pulmonology Service is active in the training of Pulmonary and Critical Care fellows in select procedures.  Fellows have an opportunity to participate in research in this discipline.  An elective rotation is available.

Present research activities:

1. Laser as an adjunct to endoscopic treatment of benign tracheal  stenosis.
2. Endoscopic Management of Benign Tracheal Stenosis: Review of 67 cases.
3. Transbronchial needle aspiration of radiologically negative mediastinal nodes in patients with suspected lung cancer.
4. Impact of  early versus late percutaneous tracheostomy in chronically ventilated patients