Overview - Procedures and Treatments

Procedures and treatments help to diagnose, treat and manage your lung condition. Sometimes, procedures help to give your doctor more information about your lung condition.

There are many different types of procedures and treatments for lung disease. Depending on the severity of your lung condition, you may need more than one procedure or treatment.

Respiratory Procedures and Treatments

Bronchoscopy and Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)

A bronchoscopy is a procedure that allows your doctor to look at your airways and lungs.

Find out more about bronchoscopy and EBUS.

Bullectomy

A bullectomy is surgery to remove air pockets in the lungs.

Find out more about bullectomy.

Chest Drain

A chest drain empties air, blood or fluid from the space surrounding your lungs, called the pleural space.

Find out more about chest drains.

ECMO

The ECMO machine provides life support to the body when a person’s heart or lungs are too sick to do the job. ECMO is for people with extremely severe lung or heart disease.

Find out more about ECMO.

High Flow Oxygen Therapy

High flow oxygen therapy delivers oxygen, through nasal prongs, at higher than normal flow rates of traditional oxygen therapy. This therapy is sometimes used for people who are in respiratory distress.

Find out more about high flow oxygen therapy.

Lung Transplant

A lung transplant is surgery to replace one or both of your lungs with lungs from a donor.

Find out more about lung transplantation.

NIV

A non-invasive ventilation (NIV) machine provides extra support while you breathe.

Find out more about NIV.

Pleurodesis

Pleurodesis is a procedure that sticks your lung to your chest wall.

Find out more about pleurodesis.

Pulmonary Angiogram

A pulmonary angiogram is a test that looks closely at your blood vessels in your lungs to see if they are narrowed or blocked.

Pulmonary Endarterectomy

A pulmonary endarterectomy is an operation to remove old blood clots and scar tissue from the pulmonary arteries in the lungs.

Find out more about pulmonary endarterectomy.

Pulmonary Wedge Resection

A pulmonary wedge resection is surgery to remove a small, wedge-shaped (triangular) piece of lung tissue.

Find out more about pulmonary wedge resection.

RHC

In a right heart catheter procedure, a catheter is passed into a vein in your neck or groin to measure the pressure in your heart and lungs.

Find out more about RHC.

VATS Lobectomy

A VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) lobectomy is surgery to remove a lobe from your lung.

Find out more about VATS lobectomy.