Pulmonology
Life is better when you can breathe easily. That’s why Ozarks Healthcare provides expert care for your respiratory system—the lungs, windpipe and other parts of your body that help you get the oxygen you need. Trust us to improve your pulmonary health, so you can enjoy more of what life has to offer.
Convenient Care Close to You
We make it as easy as possible for you to get care. Ask to schedule your pulmonology appointment at the Ozarks Healthcare location closest to you: West Plains, Gainesville, Mountain Grove, Thayer or Winona.
In West Plains, your appointments may take place at our Heart and Lung Center, located in our multispecialty Medical Office Building. The building includes a lab, imaging services, Patient Financial Services and more, so you can take care of your health in as few visits as possible.
Conditions We Treat
Your primary care doctor may refer you to a pulmonologist for specialized care of:
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Emphysema
- Interstitial lung diseases
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- Long-haul COVID-19 (lasting side effects of the illness)
- Lung cancer
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Pleural effusion
- Pulmonary hypertension
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Screenings & Diagnostic Tests
Get a clear picture of your respiratory health with Ozarks Healthcare’s full range of medical tests.
Lung Cancer Screening
If you smoke or used to smoke, a lung cancer screening could save your life. This quick, simple imaging exam looks for early signs of cancer before you experience symptoms. Early detection means timely treatment and a better long-term outcome.
Pulmonary Function Tests
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) check how well your lungs work. They include:
- Spirometry – Asks you to exhale into a mouthpiece so we can measure how much air your lungs hold
- Lung volume testing – Measures how much air your lungs hold as well as the air remaining at the end of a breath
- Diffusing capacity test – Determines how easily oxygen enters the bloodstream
- Exercise testing – Assesses possible causes of shortness of breath
Bronchoscopy
Your doctor may want to perform a biopsy if an imaging test shows something unusual. The camera sends real-time images of the inside of your lungs to a large monitor in the exam room.
Sometimes, pulmonologists attach an ultrasound probe to the bronchoscope to provide additional information about your airways. This is an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) procedure.
Biopsies
If an imaging test shows something unusual, your doctor may want to perform a biopsy. This procedure removes a tiny sample of abnormal tissue for examination in a lab. A pulmonologist takes the tissue sample during a bronchoscopy, often using one of these types of advanced technology at Ozarks Healthcare for guidance:
- Robotic equipment that helps doctors precisely reach tissue deep inside the lungs
- Computerized navigation system that maps your airways and helps doctors precisely reach tumors that move as you breathe
Our technology means you get a timely, accurate diagnosis, so you can start treatment as soon as possible.
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Right Heart Catheterization
This test helps your doctor diagnose pulmonary hypertension—high blood pressure in your lung arteries. For this procedure, a doctor inserts a catheter (thin tube) into a vein and guides it through the right side of your heart and into the lungs. The catheter has a sensor that measures pressure and oxygen in your blood vessels.
Lung Treatments
Based on your diagnosis, health history and other factors, we’ll recommend a custom care plan to relieve your symptoms. Explore some of the treatment options available from Ozarks Healthcare.
Biologic Therapies for Asthma
If traditional medications don’t work well enough for your asthma, ask your pulmonologist about biologic therapies. Scientists create these newer types of drugs using living cells. Unlike other asthma drugs, biologic therapies:
- Prevent symptoms rather than controlling or relieving them
- Are given through either an injection or an intravenous (IV) infusion, usually once every two to eight weeks
Biologics may help you breathe easier with less reliance on inhalers.
Bronchial Thermoplasty for Asthma
Bronchial thermoplasty treats severe asthma when medications don’t offer enough relief. This procedure uses heat to shrink the smooth muscle in your airways so it can’t tighten and restrict breathing. That results in fewer asthma attacks and better symptom control.
Bronchial thermoplasty is an outpatient procedure, so you go home the same day as treatment.
Lung Reduction Valve for Emphysema
If you have severe emphysema, you have an alternative to invasive lung surgery: a lung reduction valve. This tiny device allows a one-way outward flow of air from damaged parts of the lung, keeping it deflated and letting healthy lung tissue work better. That means you may not need a lobectomy (surgery to remove the damaged part of the lung).
An Ozarks Healthcare pulmonologist places the valve using a bronchoscope—a thin tube with a light and camera inserted into your airways. The procedure doesn’t use incisions, so you won’t have a scar and will recover as quickly as possible.
You don’t have to travel far for this advanced treatment option. Ozarks Healthcare offers it in West Plains and is the only provider to do so in the area.
Pleural Effusion Treatment
Pneumonia, heart failure and other conditions can lead to pleural effusion or fluid buildup around your lungs. To treat pleural effusion, a pulmonologist may:
- Perform thoracentesis, which uses a needle to drain the fluid over a period of about 15 minutes
- Place a tube in your chest to drain fluid over several days
After treatment, you may feel less chest pain and breathe easier.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
If you live with a chronic lung condition, improve your quality of life with pulmonary rehabilitation. This guided exercise and education program helps you safely regain energy and stamina, so you can enjoy more of the activities you love.
