First choice for pulmonary care in southwest Virginia

At LewisGale Regional Health System, our pulmonologists and chest specialists provide compassionate, effective treatment for individuals with acute and chronic lung conditions.

Call our Consult-a-Nurse® team at (877) 242-2362 to learn more about pulmonary care services at LewisGale Regional Health System.

Lung conditions we treat

Our highly-trained specialists treat:

  • Lung cancer
  • Bronchitis
  • Emphysema
  • Asthma
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Fibrogenic diseases, such as sarcoidosis, pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis
  • Pediatric pulmonary conditions

Advanced technology for pulmonary care

At LewisGale Regional Health System, our priorities go beyond standard fixes and provide you with effective, long-term respiratory solutions. We’re proud to offer our patients a wide variety of diagnostic and treatment opportunities using the latest technology, including:

  • Super Dimension® i·Logic™ System to detect early-stage lung cancer
  • Low dose computed tomography (CT) screenings for lung cancer
  • Pulmonary function testing
  • Bronchoscopy
  • Genetic testing for COPD risk—LewisGale Medical Center is designated as an Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Specialty Site, a Clinical Resource Center for genetic testing to help determine if you have an increased risk of COPD.
  • Sleep center—Our team of sleep specialists is skilled in diagnosing and treating sleep-related breathing disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea.
  • Interventional pulmonary medicine—We offer pulmonary medicine with airway stents and argon laser treatment of larger tumors.
  • Bronchial thermoplasty advanced asthma treatment—A recent treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, bronchial thermoplasty is an outpatient procedure that delivers precisely controlled thermal energy to the airways.

Detecting early-stage lung cancer

When it comes to detecting early-stage lung cancer, LewisGale Regional Health System offers the most advanced lung navigation system in the area. We are the first healthcare provider in western Virginia to offer the super Dimension® i·Logic™ System as an option for patients with lesions deep within the lungs. The system combines GPS-like technology with a minimally invasive catheter to locate, biopsy and prepare to treat lung lesions that were previously hard to reach.

Computed tomography (CT) lung screenings

For people at high risk for lung cancer, such as current smokers and former heavy smokers, LewisGale Regional Health System offers low-dose CT lung screenings. This screening is the first type of screening proven to detect lung cancer early and potentially reduce lung cancer deaths. LewisGale Medical Center was the first site in southwest Virginia to make this option available to patients. A recent study by the National Lung Screening Trial found that people who had a low-dose lung CT screening reduced the chance of dying from lung cancer by 20% compared to a standard chest X-ray.

Pulmonary function testing laboratories

Our pulmonary function testing labs perform diagnostic tests to measure lung capacity and gas flow rates and to determine how gases are exchanged in the lungs. LewisGale Regional Health System's labs also test lung mechanics to determine how much strength an individual’s respiratory muscles can generate. The information provided by these tests enables us to develop the best treatment plan for your specific needs.

Bronchoscopy

A bronchoscopy is the visual examination of the air passages leading into the lungs using a bronchoscope, a long, thin tube with a camera on the tip. Bronchoscopies can be used to diagnose and treat conditions involving the lungs and trachea, including bleeding, difficulty breathing, chest pain or obstructions in the airway.

Bronchoscopies are offered at all LewisGale Regional Health System hospitals. LewisGale Medical Center offers therapeutic bronchoscopies for stent placement and tumor ablation and superDimension® electromagnetic bronchoscopy for early detection of lung cancer.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation helps patients maximize their quality of life by learning to manage lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic asthma, cystic fibrosis and sarcoidosis.

Our experts evaluate your needs and tailor a therapy program to help you breathe easier every day. Because inactivity can worsen breathing issues, exercise is a key component of the program. We monitor your health and offer support, education and resources to help you:

  • Exercise safely and improve upper body strength
  • Learn techniques for more comfortable breathing
  • Conserve your energy
  • Take your medication and use oxygen effectively
  • Improve your overall nutrition
  • Stop smoking

Some patients may also benefit from cardiac rehabilitation or traditional physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Pulmonary rehab referrals

Ask your physician for a referral today so you can experience the results of pulmonary rehabilitation: more control over your condition and greater independence in your everyday activities.

Many insurance carriers cover the costs of these pulmonary services. You may be responsible for a co-payment. Questions regarding reimbursement should be referred to your insurance carrier.

Lung Nodule Program

Recent national studies indicate that 97 percent of all lung cancers are diagnosed through incidental findings when patients visit the ER for unrelated illnesses. Due to the prevalence of lung cancer and the importance of early diagnosis for improved outcomes, LewisGale Regional Health System offers the Lung Nodule Program. This is an automated system that identifies ER patients with critical incidental lung nodule findings and immediately provides that information to our pulmonary department and the patient's primary care provider. This results in quicker follow up and management of lung nodule findings.

The multidisciplinary team of lung specialists provides care recommendations to the patient's primary care physician. If a patient does not have a primary care physician a Lung Nodule Program coordinator will contact you after a lung nodule is detected.

Lung nodule characteristics

Lung nodules are abnormal spots discovered during a lung cancer screening or other diagnostic imaging. Lung nodules range in size and shape, with some smaller nodules requiring less invasive follow up exams and larger ones potentially requiring a PET/CT scan or biopsy. A nodule can also vary in softness or hardness and consistency (solid or non-solid). Though lung nodules are very common, 95 percent of the time they are not lung cancer and may be caused by:

  • Scar tissue
  • Infection
  • Current health condition
  • Airborne irritants

To find out more about our Lung Nodule Program, call (540) 772-3540.