Interventional Pulmonology

Mission

Our mission is to provide exceptional and expedited care to all our patients.

Objectives

To provide exceptional care to all of our patients
To maintain outstanding collaboration and communication with our colleagues to provide best possible care for our patients
To provide our services expeditiously eliminating any avoidable delays
To lead efforts in scientific discovery that informs and innovates new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches
To train the next generation of physician-scientists and clinician-educators in the field of Interventional Pulmonology

About Our Practice

The UAB Interventional Pulmonology program, the first and only such program in Alabama, offers a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to a wide range of pulmonary and pleural diseases including:

Central airway obstruction (malignant, and non-malignant)
Lung mass/nodule
Mediastinal lymphadenopathy
Suspected/proven malignant pleural effusions
Undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions

We are the only program in Alabama with the expertise to perform the full range of Interventional Pulmonology procedures such as

Flexible/Rigid Bronchoscopy
Linear and Radial EBUS
Electromagnetic Navigation (EMN) Guided Bronchoscopy
EMN-Guided Transthoracic Needle Biopsy
Fiducial Placement
Silicone, Metallic, and Hybrid Airway Stents
Thermal Techniques including Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC), Electrocautery, Laser and Cryotherapy
Photodynamic Therapy
Powered Instrumentation (Microdebrider)
Autofluorescence and Narrow Band Imaging
Bronchial Thermoplasty
Thoracoscopy
Pleural Biopsy
Pleurodesis
Indwelling Pleural Catheters
Percutaneous Tracheostomy

Our fundamental philosophy is that all patients with known or suspected thoracic malignancies or complications thereof deserve prompt attention. We will almost always see patients referred by physicians within one calendar week of the referral. Diagnostic procedures required after the first visit are generally completed within one week. All challenging cases are discussed at our Thoracic Oncology Tumor Board meetings, which are attended by our collaborating medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, thoracic surgeons, radiologists, and pathologists.

Referring to and Contacting the Program for Interventional Pulmonology

To contact the Program for Interventional Pulmonology, please contact Jessie Daniels at (205) 934-7679 (Office Phone), (205) 996-4699 (Fax), or jessielong@uabmc.edu (email).

Before the appointment, all pertinent medical records (including X-rays, CT scans, and PET scans) from referring physicians should be faxed to Dr. Batra's office. These documents can be provided prior to the appointment.

To electronically upload relevant radiology scans for referred patients, please use Ambra ImageShare.

To learn more about this service please see UAB's Ambra Compliance Guide.

Documents can be mailed to the following address:

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine

Dr. Hitesh Batra	Dr. Joseph Thatchuthara-George
1900 University Blvd.	1900 University Blvd.
Tinsley Harrison Tower, Suite 422	Tinsley Harrison Tower, Suite 422
Birmingham, AL 35294	Birmingham, AL 35294