Interventional Pulmonology Home A-Z Health Information Health Library A-Z Interventional Pulmonology Overview Interventional pulmonology is a sub-specialty of Pulmonary Medicine, which involves minimally invasive and percutaneous techniques for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic management of various lung disorders. This field has evolved dramatically over the years.The primary application of interventional pulmonology is in the diagnosis, staging and palliative treatment (a medical approach that helps patients with serious illness live better) of patients with lung cancer. Dilatation of tracheo-bronchial strictures, stenting of the airways, removal of foreign bodies, management of unclassified pleural disorders and temporary percutaneous tracheotomies for chronic airway management also fall under the realm of interventional pulmonology. Types of Interventions Flexible bronchoscopy: Bronchoscopy is the most common interventional pulmonology procedure. During bronchoscopy, a pulmonologist advances a flexible endoscope (bronchoscope) through a person’s mouth or nose into the windpipe. The doctor pushes the bronchoscope forward through the airways in each lung, to inspect for any abnormality and patency of the airways. Images from inside the lung are displayed on a video screen.BAL: In this procedure, sterile water is injected through the bronchoscope into a segment of the lung. The fluid is then suctioned back and sent for tests. BAL helps in the diagnosis of infection, cancer, bleeding, and other conditions.Endobronchial lung biopsy (EBLB): In this procedure, small pieces of tissue are collected from the bronchial wall or mucosa to diagnose various conditions like cancer, tuberculosis or sarcoidosis.Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB): In this procedure, a small forceps is pushed down through the bronchoscope to remove small pieces of tissue from the lung periphery. TBLB is generally used to detect acute rejection in case of lung transplantation. Additionally, it can also be used to diagnose many pulmonary disorders, such as lung cancer, ILD, pulmonary infection and pneumonitis.Brush biopsy: In this method, a small brush is used to take sample from the abnormal airway mucosa. Cryobiopsy: In this method, a cryoprobe is introduced into the airway through a bronchoscope, following which, compressed gas is shot from the probe tip to freeze the surrounding tissues. The biopsy samples obtained in this manner are larger and better preserved. Cryobiopsy is used to treat ILDs.