Pulmonary Medicine
Our pulmonary (lung) specialists treat diseases and conditions that affect the lungs and breathing. We are a VA Center of Excellence for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and are one of only 5 sites in the country that are members of the Post-Deployment Cardiopulmonary Evaluation Network (PDCEN), a group of expert clinicians and researchers focused on delivering specialty care to Veterans with airborne hazard exposures.
San Francisco VA Health Care System is a pioneer of lung cancer screening and works closely with our chest radiologists, thoracic surgeons, and oncologists to provide early diagnosis and comprehensive care to our patients with lung cancer. We also partner with the lung transplant team at UCSF, referring patients for transplantation and caring for them when they are out of the acute post-transplantation period.
If you find it difficult to breathe, our pulmonary specialists can help. We offer comprehensive care plans that include diagnosis, education, and treatments. Our services include:
- Tests to measure your lung function, lung volume, and how well your lungs exchange gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide)
- Performing procedures with a bronchoscope (a thin flexible tube with a camera on the end) to look at your airways and obtain lung samples to diagnose pulmonary conditions
- Imaging tests to diagnose your lung disease
- Evaluating the need for oxygen therapy
- Enrollment in our Lung Cancer Screening program to monitor you for the risk of developing lung cancer
- Working closely with our cancer physicians for lung cancer treatment
- Evaluation of breathing difficulties associated with exposure to respiratory toxins
- Education on how to use inhalers and other devices to improve breathing