Interventional Pulmonology
An Introduction to Interventional Pulmonology
Interventional pulmonology is a relatively new discipline that uses a range of minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat malignant and non-malignant disorders of the lungs and airways. These include diagnostic bronchoscopy, which can assess previously inaccessible nodules of the lungs using small bronchoscopes and innovative guiding techniques such as electromagnetic navigation, radial ultrasound, cone-beam computed tomography. Asthma and COPD can now be treated endoscopically using techniques such as bronchial thermoplasty and bronchoscopic lung volume reduction. Advances in therapeutic bronchoscopy include customised, 3-dimensional printed, biodegradable and bioactive stents. Ultrasound-guided pleural interventions, photodynamic therapy, small-bore chest tubes, mini-thoracoscopy and indwelling pleural catheters have also transformed pulmonary medicine. At present, many of these interventions are expensive and require skilled multidisciplinary teams.
Expert video highlights and insights from the conference hub and comprehensive peer-reviewed articles from our journal portfolio provide updates on the ever changing landscape.
