Pulmonary care

Our pulmonologists specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases of the lungs. These specialists work closely with thoracic surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology and radiology to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care.

Some of the procedures we offer include:

• Argon plasma coagulation — An electrosurgical technique similar to laser or electrocautery used to ablate malignant airway tumors, control hemoptysis (coughing up blood), remove granulation tissue from stents or anastomoses and treat a variety of benign disorders
• Balloon dilatation — Expansion of a balloon in the airway to open blockage caused by scar tissue (tracheal stenosis or bronchial stenosis)
• Brachytherapy — Removing or reducing the size of tumors inside the airway to relieve symptoms
• Bronchial thermoplasty — Use of low energy radiofrequency waves to rid the airways of smooth muscle which prevents constriction of the airways due to asthma
• Bronchoscopic intratumoral chemotherapy injection — involves the intratumoral injection of one or several conventional cytotoxic drugs directly into tumor tissue through a flexible bronchoscope by means of an ordinary needle catheter
• Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) — Placement of one-way valves in a portion of the lung to shrink the lung and prevent air-trapping similar to surgical lung volume reduction
• Cryobiopsy for interstitial lung disease — Uses a probe to freeze and remove tissue samples from the lung with the bronchoscope
• Cryotherapy — Causes cell death and tissue necrosis through rapid freeze-thaw cycles and can be used in a variety of clinical scenarios, including the treatment of malignant and benign central airway obstructions
• Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy — Uses a 3D map of the airways and sensor technology to guide bronchoscope and instruments to lung nodules
• Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) — Used to biopsy lymph nodes and diagnose and stage lung cancer
• Management of persistent air leaks — Use of one-way valves or glues placed through the bronchoscope to stop air leaks from the lungs
• Medical thoracoscopy/pleuroscopy — Insertion of a scope into the chest cavity through a small incision to diagnose or manage pleural effusions (collection of fluid around the lungs)
• Photodynamic therapy (PDT) — a process that uses photosensitizer and laser irradiation to produce reactive oxygen in cells
• Pleurodesis — Instillation of an agent through a scope or chest tube to cause the lung to adhere to the chest wall and prevent fluid from building up and relieve symptoms
• Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy — Next-generation technology to biopsy smaller and more difficult to biopsy nodules using 3D lung mapping, navigation and sensor technology
• Stent placement– A wire mesh or silicone tube placed in a blocked or narrowed airway to open the airway and relieve symptoms
• Tunneled pleural catheter placement — Placement of a long-term catheter into a pleural effusion from cancer that allows the patient to drain the fluid at home and relieve symptoms

Interventional pulmonology is a subspecialty within pulmonary medicine. Its main goals are to diagnose early stage lung cancer, provide accurate staging of lung cancer, and improve the quality of life for people with airway obstructions, pleural effusions, emphysema and severe asthma by using minimally invasive techniques.

Our Interventional Pulmonology Program offers the most state-of-the-art technologies and therapies. The program is headed by Dr. Michael Jantz, who has been performing advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy and interventional pulmonology procedures for over 20 years. Before coming to HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, Dr. Jantz developed and was the director for the interventional pulmonology program at the University of Florida.

He has served on the board of directors for American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology and the lung cancer guideline writing group for the American College of Chest Physicians. He is nationally and internationally recognized in the fields of interventional pulmonology and lung cancer.