Pulmonology

Get care from Owensboro Health’s Pulmonology Services, also called Respiratory or Lung Care. You’ll benefit from board-certified pulmonologists who are specially trained to care for even the most complex lung conditions. Whether you need simple outpatient treatment, intensive or critical inpatient care, we have the expertise, state-of-the-art technology and experience to provide outstanding care.

Pulmonology Conditions We Treat

Get care at Owensboro Health for almost any respiratory issue, including:

• Asthma
• Bronchiectasis
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), including Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis
• Lung Fungal Infections, such as Histoplasmosis and Blastomycosis
• Lung Nodules, tiny growths that may be benign or cancerous
• Pleural Effusion
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Respiratory Failure, including Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
• Shortness of Breath
• Sleep Apnea

Diagnosing Pulmonology Conditions

To detect, diagnose or assess lung conditions, your doctor may recommend a procedure such as:

• Bronchoscopy or robotic bronchoscopy – Passes a thin tube through your mouth or nose and into your lungs to view your airways. This allows our doctors to diagnose and stage diseases in a minimally invasive way, reducing the need for multiple procedures and hospital stays.
• Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) – Provides images of your airways to let your doctor take tissue samples from your lungs and lymph nodes without making incisions in your skin
• Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy – Uses pictures of your lungs’ airways to map a route to hard-to-reach lesions, so a doctor can access and treat them more quickly and are less invasive
• Lung Cancer Screening – Employs a Low-Dose CT scan that’s recommended for certain current and former smokers
• Pulmonary Function Tests – Determine how well your lungs work. These tests range from simple pulmonary function tests to the more advanced CPET, which includes computer analysis of a patient’s breathing ability while exercising.
• Right Heart Catheterization – Measures blood pressure in the Pulmonary Artery and can diagnose Pulmonary Hypertension
• Sleep Study – If you have questions about tests for sleep apnea, call our 24/7 health information line at 877-888-6647 and speak to a registered nurse.

Pulmonary Treatments & Services

Take advantage of a broad range of lung treatments and services, including:

• Coal Miners' Respiratory Clinic - The clinic strives to minimize the effects of pulmonary impairment not only in coal miners but also in other individuals with pulmonary disease.
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) – Keeps your windpipe open during sleep to prevent sleep apnea
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation – Helps you improve lung function
• Medications – Treat Pulmonary Hypertension and other conditions
• PleurX® Catheter Placement – Allows you to drain recurring fluid buildup (pleural effusion)
• Pulmonary Pals Support Group – Offers healthy activities and provides information about respiratory conditions
• Smoking Cessation Resources – Include counseling, a support group and education
• Thoracentesis – Removes fluid from the space between your chest wall and lungs to make breathing easier
• Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) – Uses a minimally invasive technique to repair or remove damaged lung tissue

Critical Care

We have board-certified pulmonologists with special training and experience in critical and intensive care. That means they are specifically equipped and ready to care for patients needing advanced, specialized care, and there is always at least one of these doctors on duty at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.