Collaboration in Interventional Pulmonology

Interventional pulmonology (IP) is an emerging field within pulmonary medicine with focus on minimally invasive techniques for the diagnosis and management of lung cancer, central airway obstruction, and pleural disease (Wahidi et al. Chest. 2007; 131[1]:261). The advent of interventional pulmonologists into medical centers has been met with various reactions among physicians from different specialties; while some saw an opportunity for collaboration and enhancement of patient’s outcome, others viewed it as a threat to their practice and opted to take a hostile stand.

The most important relationship for IP is that with thoracic surgery (TSU). These two specialties commonly share patients with clinical quandary, such as staging of lung cancer with endobronchial ultrasound or mediastinoscopy, diagnosis of the peripheral lung nodule with bronchoscopy or surgical resection, and approach to pleural disease with a variety of sampling techniques, including medical thoracoscopy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Interventional pulmonologists need the surgical back-up of the thoracic surgeon and the access to advanced surgical interventions for their patients. Similarly, the thoracic surgeons benefit from the availability of an advanced bronchoscopist and dedicated clinician with appropriate referrals for surgical resection.

Ultimately, the ideal approach should be one of multidisciplinary collaborative care, where IP and TSU share patients, thoughts, tools, and support. The overarching goal is to achieve the best patient outcome employing the safest and most effective patient-centered medical care. We call on our colleagues to extend a hand to each other, and join forces to create shared value for all involved parties.

Dr. Momen Wahidi, MBA, FCCP,
Vice-Chair; and
Dr. Kazuhiro Yasufuku, PhD, FCCP,
Steering Committee Member