Innayat Medical Updated on - Dec 18, 2023

Pulmonology Treatment & Top Pulmonology Hospitals in India

Pulmonology is the specialty of Medicine which entirely focuses in respiratory system especially lungs and the bronchial tubes related issues diagnosis and their treatment methods.

Pulmonologists are specialists in treating the different types of respiratory infections, pneumonia, asthma, TB, cancer and others. Through various types of tests available to understand the specific condition of the patient pulmonologists play a crucial role in treating respiratory issues.

Treatment procedures depend on the condition of the patient following the medication, respiratory therapy, adjustments in lifestyle, and in very few severe conditions for surgery.

List of Top 10 Best Pulmonology Hospitals in India

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi
• Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore
• Apollo Hospitals, Chennai
• Fortis Hospital, Bangalore
• Medanta - The Medicity, Gurgaon
• Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi
• Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, Delhi
• Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai
• Narayana Health, Bangalore
• Artemis Hospitals, Gurgaon

Common Respiratory Care or Pulmonology Diseases

• Asthma: Asthma is the chronic disease resulting in narrowing of airways, showing the symptoms of wheezing, difficulty in breathing, severe coughing.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Chronic Bronchitis and emphysema is caused because of continuous exposure to the irritant gases or to some other matter causing continuous lung issues.
• Pneumonia: Infection to lungs due to irritation in one or both air sacs, causing fever, coughing, difficulty in breathing.
• Tuberculosis (TB): This is a bacterial infection to lungs that causes severe cough, weakness, weight loss symptoms.  
• Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD): Due to constant smoking lung tissue scarring is occurred making breathing very difficult.
• Lung Cancer: Cancerous tumors growing in the lungs mostly due to smoking however it can be seen in nonsmokers too.
• Pulmonary Embolism: Obstruction to the pulmonary arteries of lungs caused by blood clots formed in the other body parts and traveled to lungs.
• Cystic Fibrosis: It’s a genetic condition forming thick, sticky mucus which causes issues to the respiration as well to digestion.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): It’s a type of sleep disorder associated with completeor partial collapse of the airway, decrease breathing resulting the arousal from sleep.
• Hypertension in the lungs: It’s a conditions caused by high blood pressure damaging the vessels of the lungs. It makes the heart work more than normal to pump blood into the lungs resulting to heart failures.
• Sarcoidosis: This is the inflammation of cells or growth of tiny collections in the body parts like lungs, lymph nodes, eyes and skin.

Common procedures of Pulmonology Treatments in India

Here is the list of the few tests and treatments under Pulmonology

• Pulmonary Function Test (PFT): Tests conducted to identify the lung functioning, including airflow, gas exchange and capacity of the lung.
• Bronchoscopy: A tube with camera is send through mouth or nose into the lungs to see the complete conditions and to collect the tissue samples for analysis.
• Thoracentesis: This is the procedure used to remove the air or any excess fluid accumulated between the lungs and chest wall to reduce the pressure or to take samples for analysis purposes.
• Lobectomy: Lobectomy is a surgery where one part of the lung is removed, often done to treat lung infections, lung cancer, or specific disorders affecting a particular part of the lung.
• Chest X-ray: Chest X-ray is a common imaging method to see inside the chest, including the heart and lungs. Chest CT scan provides more detailed cross-sectional images for diagnosing and evaluating lung diseases.
• Polysomnography sleep studies: Sleep studies like polysomnography help evaluate sleep patterns and detect disorders such as sleep apnea.
• Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) Test: Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) Test measures oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood to assess respiratory health and acid-base balance.
• Percutaneous Lung Biopsy: Percutaneous Lung Biopsy involves using a needle and imaging to remove lung tissue for diagnostic analysis.
• Lung Cancer Screening: Lung Cancer Screening uses low-dose CT scans to identify lung cancer early in high-risk patients.
• Lung Biopsy: Lung Biopsy takes a small lung tissue sample for analysis using techniques like bronchoscopy, needle biopsy, or surgical biopsy.
• Ventilator Management: Ventilator Management is for patients dependent on ventilators in critical care settings.
• Pleuroscopy (Medical Thoracoscopy): Pleuroscopy (Medical Thoracoscopy) is an endoscopic method for pleural tissue biopsies and direct sight of the pleural cavity.
• Exercise Testing: Exercise Testing assesses cardiovascular and respiratory responses during physical activity to detect abnormalities.
• Methacholine Challenge Test: Methacholine Challenge Test diagnoses airway responsiveness in asthmatic patients.
• Thoracentesis: Thoracentesis involves inserting a needle through the chest wall to drain excess fluid in the pleural cavity for diagnostic tests and symptom relief.