Lung Services

Memorial Hospital is a local leader in the detection and treatment in lung cancer.

Computed Tomography (CT)

Our 64-slice helical CT scanner can be used for screening patients who have a high risk for developing lung cancer, for follow up imaging of suspicious lung lesions (spots) and for helping to stage lung cancer. The CT scanner is a doughnut-shaped machine with an x-ray source that takes multiple pictures of the inside of your body as it rotates around you. A sophisticated computer stores the images and creates three dimensional, cross sectional pictures or “slices” of the part of the body being scanned. CT can produce images of bone as well as soft tissue and blood vessels, making it possible to detect disease earlier than with regular x-rays.

Bronchoscopy Suite

Pulmonologists are doctors specializing in diagnosing and treating diseases of the lungs. They use our bronchoscopy suite to perform minimally invasive lung diagnostic procedures and treatments using a bronchoscope inserted through the nose or mouth. The bronchoscope allows the pulmonologist to determine if there are any foreign bodies, tumors, bleeding or inflammation in the airways and lungs.

The pulmonologist is able to retrieve specimens lodged in the airways or remove tissue samples for biopsy. In addition, pulmonologists use the bronchoscopy suite to perform airway stenting and thoracoscopy/pleuroscopy. Our bronchoscopy suite includes a pathology station where a pathologist examines tissue samples. This minimizes the time it would otherwise take to confirm a diagnosis and decreases the amount of time the patient needs to be under anesthesia.

Traditional Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is a procedure that enables a physician to examine the major air passages of the lungs through a thin lighted tube called a bronchoscope. This allows the physician to evaluate the lungs and collect small tissue samples (biopsy) to diagnose lung disease and lung cancer. Traditional bronchoscopy however, cannot reach the distant regions of the lung and often more invasive surgical procedures are needed to make a diagnosis. This increases the risk of complications for patients.

Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)

Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) is a diagnostic tool that provides a more precise determination of a patient’s lung cancer stage. Using this less invasive approach, the pulmonologist passes a small bronchoscope, with a special ultrasound at its tip, through the patient’s mouth and down into the windpipe. Many patients evaluated with EBUS are able to forego more invasive surgical procedures. The EBUS procedure is performed at Memorial Hospital.