Pulmonology

Pulmonology is treated in the Complex Operative Unit of Pneumology, directed by Prof. Luca Richeldi, with a broad spectrum and ultra-specialized approaches, and deals with problems related to pleuro-pulmonary pathologies, with particular attention to pulmonary interstitial diseases.

Pulmonology department

The Operational Unit, included in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, includes several sub-structures for assistance, teaching and research in the various diagnostic and therapeutic sectors of respiratory medicine.

The Complex Operative Unit of Pneumology includes:

• Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Intensive Care;
• Penumological custody;
• Bronchial Endoscopy Clinic;
• Pneumology outpatient clinic;
• Specific outpatient clinics for Sarcoidosis, Asthma, Bronchiectasis, Pulmonary Emphysema and Pulmonary Hypertension;
• Outpatient clinics for Clinical trials;
• Sleep Respiratory Disorders Outpatient Clinic (at the Columbus Integrated Presidium);
• Scientific and Didactic Research Activities.

International collaboration

The Complex Operative Unit of Pneumology is actively involved in numerous scientific research projects in respiratory fields. In particular, international collaborative projects are active on innovative drugs for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis and on the use of innovative diagnostic techniques such as microTC and electronic recording of lung sounds.

In particular, the Unit collaborates closely with the Clinical Trial Center of the hospital for the design and execution of early clinical research studies of innovative drugs for the treatment of the main lung diseases.

Diseases treatment

The diseases treated by the UOC of Pneumology and which are at the centre of today's scientific research are:

• Primary and secondary pulmonary neoplasms;
• Pulmonary interstitial diseases, with particular reference to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis;
• Obstructive pathologies and chronic acute infections of the airways (bronchial asthma, emphysema, bronchiectasis);
• Pleural pathologies (pneumothorax, effusions, infections and neoplasms);
• Ventilatory and respiratory involvement in neuromusculoskeletal disorders;
• Respiratory disorders in sleep;
• Respiratory and motor rehabilitation of critically ill patients.

Staff value

The staff of the Complex Operative Unit of Pneumology offers contributions in the form of:

• Lessons and professional training for students of the Degree in Medicine and Surgery (teaching of the 5th year of the course "Diseases of the Respiratory System");
• Lessons and professional training for students of the Degree in Medicine & Surgery;
• Lessons and professional training for Medical Specialists in Training of the School of Specialization in Diseases of the Respiratory System;
• Lessons and professional training for students of the Degree Course in Physiotherapy;
• Theoretical-practical courses of advanced training in Thoracic Ultrasound and Bronchial Eco-Endoscopy.

International Pneumology

The Complex Operative Unit of Interventional Pneumology deals with the planning and execution of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic services aimed at the diagnosis and/or therapy of primary or secondary pathologies of the airways (trachea and bronchi), lung, pleura and mediastinum.

Unit goals

The pursuit of excellence in the management of patients with chest pathology is the goal of the Interventional Pneumology Unit.

This objective is pursued thanks to:

• the use of the most innovative technologies applied to endoscopy and ultrasound;
• a strong multidisciplinary integration for the management of chest pathology:
  • Pneumology,
  • Thoracic Surgery,
  • Oncology,
  • Pathological Anatomy,
  • Radiotherapy,
  • Radiology,
  • Anaesthesia and Resuscitation,
  • Infectious Diseases,
  • Haematology;
• a constant adaptation of the activity to the most recent international scientific evidence.

Areas

The areas of particular clinical and research interest are:

• the application of interventional techniques for the diagnosis and endoscopic therapy of lung tumours;
• the diagnosis of mediastinal pathologies with the aid of endoscopy (EBUS-TBNA and EUS-b-FNA);
• the diagnosis of the pulmonary nodule with the aid of transbronchial and transparietal guidance techniques;
• the diagnostic management of sarcoidosis and pulmonary interstitium pathologies.

The Operating Unit carries out its activities through an interventional area, an outpatient area, a day hospital (located on the 1st floor, wing P) and standard hospitalization (located on the 6th floor, wing N).

The interventional area consists of an endoscopic room equipped with the most modern technologies currently available in the field of Interventional Pneumology and a recovery room with 3 workstations for the management of the patient undergoing interventional procedures under general anesthesia.

The outpatient activity is aimed at assessing the indication and the degree of risk of invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures in patients with chest pathology.

Access to the Day Hospital or to the Standard Hospitalization of the Interventional Pulmonology Unit is reserved for patients for whom the examination of the clinical and radiological documentation by the doctors of the Operating Unit demonstrates the indication for the execution of complex diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, to be performed under sedation/deep or general anaesthesia, on the lung, mediastinum or pleura.