Advantages of Interventional Pulmonology

Minimally Invasive
Significatly Effective

With interventional pulmonologists using less invasive techniques, patients may experience less trauma, fewer complications and quicker recovery times.

  • Smaller Incisions & Lesser Scarring
  • Lesser Postoperative Pain
  • Lower Risk of Infection
  • Reduced Blood Loss
  • Faster Recovery as compared to Invasive surgery
  • Same day Procedure in out patient settings
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Interventional Pulmonary Procedures & Therapies

Conditions We Treat

Interventional pulmonology (IP), a fairly new but advanced subspecialty of pulmonary medicine, which primarily focuses on using minimally invasive procedures and therapeutic techniques to diagnose and treat conditions in the lungs and chest. IP procedures usually use endoscopic and allied techniques which have exceptional outcomes and offer patients the potential benefits of avoiding more invasive surgery.

Dr. Prabhu Prasad N C -who pioneered the IP program in Goa & the entire Konkan region works hand-in-hand with an expert team of thoracic surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists and respiratory therapists to successfully manage the complex airway and pleural diseases, including lung cancer and non-malignant diseases of the chest.

Lung cancer remains the most deadly form of cancer in both men and women worldwide. Lung cancer can start as nodules within the lung , small mass encased in a tissue and look like spots on the lung ,enlarged lymph nodes, or obstruction of the airway.

IP Procedures & Benefits :

Diagnosis of lung cancer often requires biopsies of the lung.  Advanced bronchoscopy plays an essential role in the diagnosis of lung cancer by access to distant portions of the lung to biopsy.

The biopsy results not only confirm the presence of cancer, but also determine if lung cancer can be surgically removed or treated with chemotherapy or radiation

New advances like molecular testing on cancerous tissue is essential for providing cutting edge treatment for metastatic lung cancers.

Lung nodules are mass surrounded by lung tissue & are seen as spots on the lung less than 3 centimeters in size. Lung nodules can represent a wide variety of diseases, including lung cancer. These nodules can be found throughout the lung and without proper diagnosis & treatment can spread and grow.

IP Procedures & Benefits :

For diagnosis Endobronchial Ultrasound EBUS - radial and linear

Tumor debulking using Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC), Electrocautery, Cryotherapy

Other technologies include Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy, Cone-beam computer tomography & Robotic bronchoscopy.

Pleural effusion, sometimes referred to as “water on the lungs,” is the build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs. This fluid can result in shortness of breath and an increase in the effort required for normal breathing.

Fluid around the lung can develop for various reasons such as heart failure, infection, and cancer. The best way to identify the cause of this fluid often involves draining and testing the fluid.

IP Procedures & Benefits :

Diagnosis is done by Ultrasound guided Thoracentesis

Management by Chest tube and tunneled Pleural Catheter placement

Diagnosis & management through Medical Thoracoscopy, Pleural biopsy and Pleurodesis

An airway obstruction is a blockage in any part of the airway. The airway is a complex system of tubes that transmits inhaled air from your nose and mouth into your lungs. An obstruction may partially or totally prevent air from getting into your lungs.

 

IP Procedures & Benefits:

Lung cancer can be one of the reasons for blocking the airways & surgically remove tumours Bronchoscopically

Airways are dilated using Balloon Airway Dilation  

Airway stents (tubes) can be placed within the airways after the tumour is removed, to help hold the airway open.

Tracheobronchomalacia, also referred to as "Airway Malacia" is a condition where the airways are excessively collapsible or "floppy."- due to   flaccidity of the supporting tracheal cartilage. When airways are too collapsible, patients are unable to exhale effectively, resulting in shortness of breath.

IP Procedures & Benefits:

The best way to diagnose Airway Malacia is via Bronchoscopy.

Airway Stenting i.e. tubes placed in the airways to keep them open  are beneficial for the treatment of Tracheobronchomalacia.

Airway Stenosis, is the narrowing of the trachea, often called the windpipe, which connects the nose and mouth to the lungs. This narrowing results in difficulty breathing and can also make cold symptoms worse and impact the voice and the ability to swallow.

IP Procedures & Benefits:

Affected airways can be treated with several interventions including Balloon airway dilations

Tracheal and bronchial stent placement procedures are performed to keep the airways open

Lymph nodes are structures positioned throughout the body to filter blood & contain Lymphocytes which help body fight infections and maintain immunity. Lymph nodes can become enlarged for a number of reasons, such as infection, inflammation, and cancer.

IP Procedures & Benefits:

One of the best ways to diagnose the cause of enlargement of lymph nodes in the chest is endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy (EBUS).

This procedure is an extremely sensitive and specific procedure for diagnosing lung cancer of the nodes, in addition to benign diseases. 

Foreign bodies can enter into the trachea and lodge into the large airways resulting in cough and shortness of breath. This can life threatening event especially for young children with smaller diameters of airway size. The foreign body can result in body response and granulation tissue formation around the object over time which makes the foreign body removal difficult

 

IP Procedures & Benefits:

The best procedure foreign bodies utilizing a rigid bronchoscope which is a minimally invasive surgical technique

Interventional Pulmonary Procedures

Procedures we Specialize In Interventional Pulmonology

Interventional pulmonology (IP), a fairly new but an advanced subspecialty of pulmonary medicine, which primarily focuses on using minimally invasive procedures and therapeutic techniques to diagnose and treat conditions in the lungs and chest. IP procedures usually use endoscopic and allied techniques which have exceptional outcomes and offer patients the potential benefits of avoiding more invasive surgery.

Dr. Prabhu Prasad N C -who pioneered the IP program in Goa & the entire Konkan region works hand-in-hand with an expert team of thoracic surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists and respiratory therapists to successfully manage the complex airway and pleural diseases, including lung cancer and non-malignant diseases of the chest.

Bronchoscopy

The most common IP procedure allows doctors to look inside lungs and airways through a bronchoscope – a thin, lighted tube – inserted into the airways through a patient’s mouth or nose. Images & Video from the lungs are displayed on a video screen.
Additionally, the bronchoscope has a tube though, through which a doctor can pass small tools. Using these tools, the doctor can perform several other IP procedures.

Endobronchial Ultrasound-EBUS

EBUS is an Interventional pulmonary procedure for diagnosis of lung problems. The EBUS scope has a video camera with an ultrasound probe attached to create images of your lungs and lymph nodes. It is inserted through the mouth and into the windpipe and lungs.

Balloon Airway Dilation -Balloon Bronchoplasty

Inserting & inflating a balloon with saline expands the airways to alleviate undesirable symptoms (e.g. difficulty breathing, cough, pneumonia) caused by a constriction. This procedure may be performed before airway stent placement to help expand a bronchus.

Ultrasound Guided Thoracentesis

A catheter is inserted into the chest wall through a needle to drain excess fluid surrounding the lungs. Once drained, the catheter is removed and discarded. The doctor may collect samples of the fluid for further testing.

Tumor debulking using argon Plasma Coagulation (APC), Eectrocautery & Cryotherapy

APC: Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a new method for coagulating tissue which employs a high frequency electric current and ionised argon gas and used for removal of toumors & Cancers.
CYRYOTHERAPY : Uses extremely cold temperatures from liquid nitrogen or argon gas to destroy abnormal tissue and cancer cells. It can also be used to treat post-surgical scar tissue forming in the airways. .
ELECTRO CAUTERY: Uses heat from an electrical current to destroy abnormal tissue and cancer cells. It can also stop bleeding from abnormal tissue in the airway.

Medical Thoracoscopy, Pleural biopsy and Pleurodesis

A pleuroscope (a type of endoscope) is inserted through a minor chest incision into the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs (pleura). This minimally invasive procedure is done under anesthesia and allows the doctor to view the outside edges of the lung, collect biopsy & put a drug to stick your lungs to the chest wall to prevent further air or fluid accumulation ( Plurodesis)

Indwelling Tunneled Pleural Catheter Placement

As an alternative to pleurodesis -a pleural catheter is inserted for the treatment of recurrent pleural effusion. Through minor surgery, a plastic catheter is inserted beneath the skin and into the chest cavity. As excess pleural fluid accumulates around the lung, the patient can drain the catheter at home using special sterile settings.

Transbronchial Lung Biopsy - EBUS -TBLB

The endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial lung biopsy (EBUS-TBLB) is a new diagnostic method for the diagnosis of pulmonary lesions and Scaridosis.

Airway Stent Placement

With a bronchoscope, wire mesh stents are placed in narrowed airway tubes and expanded to open the airways and alleviate undesirable symptoms (e.g. difficulty breathing, cough, pneumonia) caused by a constriction.

Tracheal and Bronchial Stent Placement

Tracheobronchial stenting refers to the placing of a stent in a patient's larger airways like Trachea to treat or prevent restricted airflow. The procedure is minimally invasive and is most often used to relieve symptoms caused by cancerous tumors blocking airways.