Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship Services

Interventional Pulmonology at Emory University offers advanced techniques and procedures that have dramatically changed the approach to diagnosing, staging, and treating lung cancers, as well as pulmonary nodules, benign airway disease, pleural diseases, and endoscopic lung volume reduction.

The Interventional Pulmonology Program is the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the state of Georgia and offers a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. The program was established to provide patients with access to the latest, minimally invasive, state-of-the art diagnostic and therapeutic modalities to treating lung and pleural diseases.  As one of the first programs in the country, the Emory Interventional Pulmonology program has experienced significant growth since its establishment. The program currently has five fellowship-trained interventional pulmonologist on staff with access to provide a full range of interventional services at four major academic hospitals in Atlanta. 

As a complete Interventional Pulmonology Program, we perform the following advanced, non-invasive diagnostic, therapeutic and palliative procedures in both the inpatient and outpatient setting:

Innovative Procedures for Benign Airway Disease

• Endobronchial Valve placement for Lung Volume Reduction for COPD
• Trans-Tracheal Oxygen (TTO) Catheter Placement
• Bronchial and tracheal stent placement for tracheobronchomalacia and tracheal stenosis
• Bronchial Thermoplasty for medically refractory severe asthma

Advanced Diagnostic Procedures

• Flexible Bronchoscopy (with bronchoalveolar lavage, transbronchial lung biopsy, or endobronchial biopsies)Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) with transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA)
• Peripheral Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) with transbronchial lung biopsy or transbronchial needle aspiration
• Robotic Assisted Bronchoscopy with Cios Spin® and augmented fluoroscopy
• Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy (Veran and SuperDimension™)- for biopsy of peripheral lung nodules or masses that may be difficult to otherwise biopsy
• High Definition and Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) Bronchoscopy

Therapeutic Bronchoscopy for Benign and Malignant Airway Disease

• Rigid Bronchoscopy (with tumor excision or debridement)
• Laser Therapy
• Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC)
• Cryotherapy
• Electrocautery
• Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
• Endobronchial Brachytherapy
• Fiducial Placement for External Beam Radiation Treatment (EBRT)
• Airway Stent Placement and Removal (Metallic, Hybrid and Silicone) including 3-D printed stents
• Endobronchial valve placement for COPD or Bronchopleural Fistulas
• Foreign Body Removal
• Chronic In-dwelling Pleural Drainage Catheters (Pleurx™)
• Thoracic Ultrasound-guided Chest Tube Placement
• Percutaneous Dilational Tracheostomy

Interventional Pulmonary specializes in treating patient with the following conditions:

• Pulmonary nodules
• Lung masses, both benign and malignant
• Tracheobronchomalacia
• Complications of other solid organ or hematological malignancies affecting the lungs
• Evaluation of thoracic lymph nodes
• Airway obstruction (from benign or malignant disease)
• Foreign body aspiration
• Tracheal or bronchial stenosis and strictures
• Airway granulation tissue
• Complications of prior endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy tube
• Benign or malignant pleural effusions
• Pneumothorax
• Complications of airway stents
• Asthma refractory to medical treatments
• Severe COPD in need of Lung Volume Reduction
• Other complex airway disease