For more information about Interventional Pulmonology services at Norton Thoracic Institute, please call (602) 406-4000.
The interventional pulmonary and advanced diagnostics team at the Norton Thoracic Institute specializes in minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients with suspected malignancy, airway disorders and pleural diseases. Trust our dedicated team of physician assistants, nurses, social workers and board certified physicians to provide the best care for your needs.
What We Do
We offer a multidisciplinary approach for our patients at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. We provide comprehensive pleural care and have skilled physicians, knowledgeable about numerous advanced bronchoscopy procedures. We encourage you to learn all you can about your disease so you can partner with us in treating and managing your condition.
We use special airway balloons and rigid bronchoscope to dilate a narrowed segment of the airway for immediate relief. We provide multidisciplinary care in collaboration with the ENT specialist and thoracic surgeons to provide long lasting results.
An airway stent is a silicone tube or metal spring-like device that is placed to splint a focal area of narrowing in the airway due to a tumor or scarring. Patients are followed closely for removal once the tumor is treated. The stent can stay in for months to years, so patients are taught airway clearance techniques to avoid stent closure.
This procedure is only offered to patients with severe persistent asthma despite maximal medical management. A special catheter is used to deliver heat therapy to different areas of the airway. This procedure reduces smooth muscle surrounding the airways, thus reducing bronchospasm.
This innovative technology outlines a dynamic map to the target nodule located in the periphery of the lung. A 3D map of your lung is generated using special computer software. A CT scan of chest with navigation bronchoscopy protocol is required for this procedure.
A specialized bronchoscope (a) long, flexible tube with a small ultrasound attached at its tip allows for real time biopsy of lymph glands and tumors located adjacent to the airway. The procedure is now the standard of care for simultaneous diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. The procedure is performed under moderate sedation or general anesthesia.
An umbrella-like plastic device is placed to close off a segment of the lung with post-surgical air leak. A balloon catheter is used to find the branch of the airway that is leaking before the placement of one or more valves. These are usually removed after six weeks.
Two different types of endobronchial valves are now approved by FDA for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction for patient with emphysema. A bronchoscope is used to place these specially designed valves to close off the segmental airway of diseased lung. This allows for healthier lung to expand and function more efficiently. Patients feel significant reduction in dyspnea and experience increased exercise tolerance.
A flexible scope with a camera and light source at its tip allow for direct examination of the voice box and airway to diagnose and treat lung diseases like chronic cough, bleeding in the airway, foreign body aspiration, etc. The procedure is performed under conscious sedation and also general anesthesia.
Different bronchoscopy equipment is used in removal of aspirated foreign objects in the airway depending upon the location, size, texture and shape of the object.
Specialized small bronchoscopes are used to approach the lung nodule. An ultrasound catheter is then used to confirm the location of the lung nodule before biopsy. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia to minimize coughing.
We perform both flexible and rigid pleuroscopy to diagnose and treat pleural diseases. Only an 8 millimeter incision is made between two ribs to pass the scope into the pleural space. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia and conscious sedation.
Performed by our expertly trained pulmonary specialists, this procedure involves hollow metal rods being used to treat complex airway diseases and central tumors. The rigid bronchoscopy is used as a dilating and cutting tool with an advantage to tamponade a bleeding area in the airway. The procedure is performed with a highly specialized anesthesia team.
Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy
Dignity Health performs robotic-assisted bronchoscopy that can reach all 18 segments of the lungs. The ultra thin catheter and integrated vision probe provides the physician direct vision to reach all parts of the lungs. During the bronchoscopy, the physician guides an ultra-thin catheter through your airway to the area of your lung for biopsy.
This lung biopsy procedure is offered as an alternative to surgical lung biopsy in patients with interstitial lung disease. The tip of the catheter freezes to minus 89 degrees Celsius, which allows for a larger biopsy sample without crush artefact when compared to conventional bronchoscopy with forceps biopsy.
A specialized laser, argon plasma coagulation or electrocautery is used to heat treat the tumor located in the airway to minimize bleeding before removal. The procedure is performed with a highly specialized anesthesia team.
The catheter is percutaneously placed in the sac around the lung to help patients with recurrent symptomatic malignant pleural effusion. The catheter can be drained at home by patient or a family member. Interventional pulmonary at Norton Thoracic Institute has a dedicated team in educating patients regarding catheter drainage and maintenance.
Under ultrasound guidance a curved plastic catheter is placed into the pleural space to treat infection involving the sac around the lung and also lung collapse
Patients with alveolar proteinosis are treated with whole lung lavage, usually 20 liters of normal saline, to remove deposited proteinaceous material in the lung. The procedure is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia with a with a highly specialized anesthesia team.
