Interventional Pulmonology
The Interventional Pulmonology Program offers
a broad array of diagnostic, therapeutic and
palliative airway procedures. Treatments offered
include laser bronchoscopy, endobronchial
stenting, early lung cancer detection via LIFE-Lung
fluorescence bronchoscopy, endobronchial
brachytherapy and photodynamic therapy. The
program is a collaborative effort of Pulmonary
Medicine, Allergy, Thoracic Surgery, and Radiation
Oncology.
Laser Bronchoscopy
The Penn Lung Center performs between 50 and
100 laser bronchoscopic procedures each year
for malignant and benign airway obstruction.
These procedures are performed in the operating
room with the assistance of Thoracic Anesthesiology
and the expertise of Thoracic Surgery nurses.
Both flexible and rigid bronchoscopic approaches
are available for each individual case, and
we have experience with a number of different
surgical lasers. In addition, we now have bronchoscopic
electrocautery available in our outpatient
bronchoscopy suite for the treatment of localized
airway lesions.
Endobronchial
Stenting
Penn's Interventional Pulmonology program
is the most active in endobronchial stenting
on the East Coast. In the past two years alone,
more than 150 airway stents have been inserted.
In addition, we have placed over 100 expandable
wire tracheobronchial stents for both benign
and malignant airway lesions. We also have
participated in the evaluation of the covered
Ultraflex ' expandable wire stent. Currently,
we are one of five centers nationwide studying
the impact of tracheobronchial stenting on
the quality of life of patients with advanced
lung cancer.
Endobronchial
Brachytherapy
Endobronchial Brachytherapy
is the delivery of internal radiation
therapy for the treatment of recurrent unresectable
cancers of the airway. We offer both low- and
high-dose rate endobronchial brachytherapy
for patients with malignant airway disorders.
We have significant experience in using this
technique in combination with laser resection
and/or endobronchial stenting. We are one of
the first centers nationwide to utilize low-dose
brachytherapy for the treatment and prevention
of airway stenosis related to recurrent granulation
tissue.
LIFE-LUNG Fluorescence
Bronchoscopy
With the assistance of the Betz Foundation,
our Interventional Pulmonology Program has
renovated and reinstated the LIFE-Lung fluorescence
bronchoscopy system for the early detection
of endobronchial lung cancer. The Life-Lung
system will be an integral part of an Early
Lung Cancer Detection and Treatment Program
to be based at Pennsylvania Hospital. Patients
at high risk for the development of primary
or recurrent carcinoma of the lung will be
candidates for the LIFE-lung procedure, which
may detect cancers at early stages, when they
may be amenable to non-surgical treatments
such as photodynamic therapy.
Location
Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania
3 Ravdin, Suite F
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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