Interventional Pulmonology at Mercy in Baltimore, Maryland offers expert diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment for complex lung disease, including lung cancers, pleural effusions, advanced COPD and airway strictures.

Mercy is proud to offer patients prompt access to care as well as leading edge technologies, including robotic bronchoscopy to identify, diagnose and treat lung nodules.

Leading Interventional Pulmonologist Providing Advanced Care

Interventional pulmonologist Dr. Sy Sarkar has a long-standing reputation in the Baltimore area for providing focused expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of advanced lung disease. He has more than a decade of experience in minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedures and comprehensive evaluation of airway conditions.

What Conditions Do Interventional Pulmonologists Treat?

Dr. Sarkar works closely with Mercy’s general pulmonologists and a multidisciplinary team to treat conditions such as:

• Lung mass – Interventional pulmonologists often play a crucial role in diagnosing and treating lung cancers, performing bronchoscopic procedures to obtain tissue samples to diagnose and determine the extent of the cancer.
• Pulmonary nodules – Suspicious lung nodules often require further evaluation. Interventional pulmonologists can use navigational bronchoscopy to obtain tissue samples for diagnosis.
• Pleural effusion – The buildup of fluid in the pleural space of the lungs (pleural effusion) may require treatment, including procedures such as thoracentesis or pleuroscopy to drain or manage the pleural effusion.
• Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) – Interventional pulmonologists can use bronchoscopic procedures to determine the source of bleeding and potentially treat the cause during the procedure.
• Airway strictures (benign and malignant causes) – Conditions such as tracheal stenosis (narrowing of the windpipe) and bronchial strictures (narrowing of the airways) can be treated through stent placement or balloon dilation.
• Advanced COPD (endobronchial valves) – Advanced stages of COPD can be managed with bronchoscopic procedures, including endobronchial valve therapy to improve lung function and breathing.

Robotic Bronchoscopy and Minimally Invasive Lung Procedures

Dr. Sarkar has extensive experience in bronchoscopic and pleuroscopic minimally invasive lung procedures, which can reduce patient symptoms and improve quality of life. Mercy is the first hospital in Maryland to offer robotic bronchoscopy.

• Robotic bronchoscopy – Used to perform a wide range of interventions including biopsy, dye marking for surgical resection and potential treatment of small peripheral nodules.
• Pleuroscopy – Used to assess and manage conditions of the pleural space with procedures including removal of effusion and catheter placement, pleurodesis and biopsy.

Mercy’s team works in concert with thoracic surgeons to offer additional surgical treatment options for lung disease including lobectomy, pneumonectomy, wedge resection and segment resection.

Comprehensive Care for Lung Disease

In addition to the multidisciplinary physician team of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and pulmonologists, Interventional Pulmonology at Mercy offers:

• Dedicated nurse navigator with years of experience in interventional pulmonology, thoracic surgery, thoracic oncology and critical care
• Social work team to holistically address the management of lung disease
• Dietitians to assist with nutrition counseling