Interventional pulmonology

At Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, the Interventional Pulmonology program supports both pulmonary medicine and thoracic surgery. Dr. Otis Rickman is the medical director and a board-certified interventional pulmonologist. He spearheads our comprehensive approach to minimally invasive care for lung cancer. He also treats other conditions that affect the airways and pleural disorders.

Dr. Rickman and the surgical care team diagnose and treat lung, airway and chest diseases. Using state-of-the-art operating rooms at Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville, Tennessee, we provide full anesthesia support. Our comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating lung, chest and airway conditions provides options – minimally invasive tests and treatments.

Schedule an appointment, call 615-329-7878.

Advanced diagnostic options for lung, chest and airway conditions

At Ascension Saint Thomas, our specialists have the expertise to use minimally invasive procedures to diagnose small lung lesions. Bronchoscopic image-guided tests are used to diagnose non-cancerous conditions in your throat, lung and chest. Conditions may include:

• Cancerous central airway obstruction
• Collapse of the central airway (tracheobronchomalacia)
• Enlarged lymph nodes (adenopathy) or masses in the chest Lung nodules, masses and lesions
• Lung cancer
• Diseases of the pleura (lung lining)
• Progressive scarring of the lung tissue (interstitial lung disease)
• Tracheal stenosis

Interventional pulmonology collaborates with thoracic surgery

Dr. Rickman and the interventional pulmonology team work closely with the thoracic surgical team to treat many conditions, including:

• Abnormal narrowing of the trachea (stenosis)
• Foreign bodies in an airway lodged in the larynx, trachea or bronchus
• Benign and cancerous tumors
• Emphysema
• Pleural effusion (buildup of fluid between the tissues that line the lungs and chest)
• Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)

Minimally invasive procedures used to treat lung and chest disorders

At Ascension Saint Thomas, therapeutic procedures are used to treat pulmonary conditions that affect how well you can breathe and how your lungs are functioning.

Novel procedure used to treat emphysema

At Ascension Saint Thomas, our specialist uses a minimally invasive procedure used to treat patients with severe emphysema. A doctor places a Zephyr ® one-way valve into the affected part of the lung. Trapped air and fluid flows out of the valve, but can not flow in. Airflow is redirected to the healthy part of the lung where it can expand and help you breathe easier. A referral is required for this procedure. For more information or to determine if this procedure is right for you, please contact our medical assistant at 615-222-1270.

We offer comprehensive care using minimally invasive procedures. Other interventional pulmonology procedures include, but are not limited to:

Advanced pulmonary cryotherapy

• Cryobiopsy for interstitial lung disease as an alternative to surgical lung biopsy
• Spray cryotherapy

Airway procedures

• Airway tumor/tissue ablation
• Airway foreign body extraction
• Endoscopic membranous tracheoplasty for excessive central airway collapse
• Hybrid metal stent placement for airway obstruction
• LASER therapy
• Silicone stent placement for airway obstruction

Bronchoscopic procedures

• Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (Zephyr® endobronchial valve treatment)
• Endobronchial ultrasound-guided bronchoscopy (EBUS)
• Flexible bronchoscopy
• One way air-way valve placement to stop prolonged air leaks from the lung
• Rigid therapeutic bronchoscopy
• Robotic navigational bronchoscopy

Cancer biopsy and treatments

• Fiducial marker placement for radiation or surgery guidance
• Lung cancer staging
• Lymph node biopsy

Pleural procedures

• Medical thoracoscopy for minimally invasive diagnosis of pleural disease
• Small bore chest tubes
• Pleurodesis
• Tunneled pleural catheter placement for effusion-related dyspnea
• Ultrasound-guided thoracentesis  

Clinical trials in interventional pulmonology

Dr. Rickman is a principal investigator in clinical trials that investigate the use of minimally invasive interventional pulmonary procedures to diagnose and treat lung cancer and other chest and airway conditions. To refer a patient and schedule a surgical consultation with Dr. Rickman, call 615-329-7878.

Find out more about lung and chest services at Ascension Saint Thomas.