Pulmonology is the area of medicine that focuses on diagnosing and treating disorders of the respiratory system, which includes the organs that help you breathe. The three major parts of this system include the airway, the lungs and the respiratory muscles.
Conditions We Treat
At Phelps Health, our pulmonologists treat issues with the respiratory system, including the following:
- Asthma: chronic condition involving inflammation and narrowing of airways in the lungs
- Bronchitis: inflammation of the lower airways
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema and is a blockage of the airway which makes it difficult to breathe
- Emphysema: occurs when the alveoli (the tiny air sacs in the lungs that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide) in the lungs are damaged
- Interstitial lung diseases: lung diseases with persistent inflammation and scarring
- Lung nodules: a small oval- or round-shaped growth in the lung
- Obstructive lung disease: the narrowing or obstruction of the airway
Services We Offer
At Phelps Health, our pulmonologists offer the following services:
- Bronchoscopy: test to examine the airway and determine if there are any issues within the respiratory system
- Lung cancer screening: a screening test for lung cancer using low-dose computed tomography (also called a low-dose CT scan, or LDCT). In this test, an X-ray machine scans the body and takes detailed pictures of the lungs
- Pulmonary function test (PFT) interpretation: PFT is a breathing test to see how well the lungs are working
- Preoperative pulmonary risk assessment: an assessment to identify patients who are at a higher risk for respiratory distress during or following a surgery
