Lung & Chest Conditions and Treatments
The Lung & Chest team at Columbia treats a wide variety of thoracic diseases and disorders. We’ve put together educational guides to help you learn about common lung and chest conditions and treatments, to help you make informed decisions about care.
If you’d like to speak to our team about any of these conditions or treatment options, call (212) 305-3408 or request an appointment online today.
Our team is now seeing patients in New Jersey at our New Jersey Lung & Esophageal Center. Learn more »
Lung and Chest Conditions
- ARDS – is an acute respiratory distress syndrome, a life-threatening condition involving fluid buildup in the air sacs of the lungs, causing breathing to be difficult or impossible.
- Asthma – A chronic condition where the airways in the lungs become inflamed and spasm, causing temporary occlusions of airflow.
- Autoimmune Interstitial Lung Disease – Inflammation and scarring in the lungs caused by autoimmune disorders.
- Bronchiectasis – Bronchiectasis is a condition that results from chronic bacterial infections in the lungs. It causes the walls of the lungs to thicken and can make breathing difficult.
- COPD – Group of diseases that cause inflammation and thickening of the lung tissue, limiting airflow in and out of the lungs.
- Cystic Fibrosis – A progressive genetic disease that causes inflammation of the lung membranes, leading to increased mucus secretion and persistent infections.
- Diaphragm paralysis and weakness – A breakdown of communication between the nervous system and the diaphragm cause the diaphragm to function inefficiently or not at all.
- Diaphragm eventration – The diaphragm is elevated to an abnormal position in the chest cavity, usually due to a muscle or nerve issue.
- Diaphragmatic hernias – Rare birth defect where an abnormal opening in the diaphragm causes organs to move into the chest cavity.
- Emphysema – Damaged air sacs in the lungs lose elasticity, reducing oxygen absorption and making breathing difficult.
- GERD – Gastroesophageal reflux disease, a backup of stomach acid causes inflammation that commonly causes persistent heartburn and indigestion.
- Hyperhidrosis – Excessive sweating in the underarms or hands and feet.
- Interstitial Lung Disease and Pulmonary Fibrosis – a group of disorders that cause persistent scaring of the lungs, causing lung stiffness and difficulty breathing.
- Lung Cancer – one of the most common form of cancer in the United States. It is the leading cause of death from cancer. When lung cancer is advanced, surgery in combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy may still be curative.
- Lung Cancer in Women – The second most common cancer diagnosis in women and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The rates of lung cancer have been increasing over the past several years for women, particularly adenocarcinoma.
- Mesothelioma – Form of cancer that covers the mesothelium, or linings, of/conditions-and-treatments/thymus-cancer organs.
- Myasthenia Gravis – Chronic condition wherein the muscles of the body tire and weaken quickly. Can affect the muscles that control respiratory function, causing breathing to be inefficient.
- Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Infections – Nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections describe a group of diseases caused by a type of bacteria called mycobacteria. Infections are typically limited to people who already have a lung condition, such as COPD.
- Pectus Excavatum – Condition where the sternum, or breastbone, is sunken into the chest, giving it a concave appearance.
- Pulmonary Embolic Disease – A blockage, usually from a blood clot, prevents oxygen from reaching sections of the lung, causing shortness of breath and chest pain.
- Pulmonary Hypertension – Abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – Group of disorders that occur due to compression of blood vessels or nerves between the collarbone and rib.
- Thymus Cancer – An abnormal growth of cells in the thymus gland in the upper chest.
Lung and Chest Treatments
- Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction – a non-surgical procedure to improve breathing in people with emphysema and COPD.
- Bronchoscopy/Lung Biopsy – A diagnostic procedure to understand more about your respiratory condition by looking inside the lungs and collecting tissue samples.
- Diaphragmatic Pacing – Surgery involving placing a nerve pacer to stimulate the diaphragm and facilitate breathing.
- ECMO – Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is an external life support system that temporarily keeps the body appropriately supplied with oxygenated blood.
- Lung Surgery – Surgery can be used to repair diseased lung tissue, removing a portion of damaged lung, or to replace lungs entirely. It is often the most effective method of treating lung disease.
- Lung Transplantation – partial or total replacement of one or two diseased lungs. Frequently performed in patients with COPD, cystic fibrosis, or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
- Lung Volume Reduction Surgery – removal of diseased lung tissue to improve the function of healthy parts of the lung.
- Minimally Invasive and Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) – A minimally-invasive surgical technique where small incisions are made and a tiny camera and surgical instruments are inserted, providing the surgeon with a video image of the inside of the chest.
- Nonsurgical Lung Treatments – There are a variety of nonsurgical treatment options for lung disease. Which option is best will depend on your specific condition, its severity, and your health and preferences.
- Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (Uni-VATS) – A minimally-invasive surgical technique where a single incision is made into the chest and a tiny camera and surgical tools are inserted. Commonly used for biopsies, pulmonary tissue resections, and chest wall reconstructions.
For more information, call (212) 305-3408 or request an appointment online today.