UPMC Adult Airway Clinic
The ability to breathe is involved in every moment of your life. Most often, few complication arise from the average of 20,000 breathes taken per day. But when upper airway disorders and diseases begin to affect your every breath, each moment of your life can be affected.
At the UPMC Adult Airway Clinic, our experts utilize a comprehensive approach to diagnose and treat adults with an array of upper airway disorders. Using state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment techniques, our team can help you manage and overcome your condition and make each breath comfortable and strong.
As a comprehensive resource center, the UPMC Adult Airway Clinic is available not only to patients, but also to referring physicians and surgeons who may request diagnoses, second opinions, treatment plans, and definitive treatment.
About the Adult Airway Clinic
At the UPMC Adult Airway Clinic, we realize the importance of maintaining a strong and healthy breath and are dedicated to the evaluation, treatment, and improvement of all types of adult upper airway disorders, including:
- Disorders of the upper airway (larynx, subglottis, proximal trachea)
- Tracheotomy-dependent conditions
We also make educating the patient and family members a key aspect of our patient care concept. Our experts provide extensive details about conditions and treatment plans to help put the patient and family members at ease.
The Adult Airway Clinic is part of UPMC’s Department of Otolaryngology — which is consistently ranked among the top five otolaryngology departments in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.
If you experience noisy or labored breathing, it could mean that you have a problem that requires expert care at the UPMC Adult Airway Clinic.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Conditions at the Adult Airway Clinic
Because upper airway problems can be signs of other medical problems, we often consult with specialists in thoracic surgery, pulmonology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, maxillofacial surgery, sleep and speech disorders, and respiratory therapy. Radiologists, anesthesiologists, and social workers also provide services as needed. Airway clinic staff will coordinate and oversee other advanced or specialty care when necessary.
An Array of Conditions Treated
At the Adult Airway Clinic, we use the most sophisticated techniques and equipment available to diagnose upper airway conditions, including:
- Subglottic stenosis
- Posterior glottic stenosis
- Revision laryngeal stenosis
- Supraglottic stenosis
- Tracheal stenosis
- Combination stenosis
- Airway stent
- Acid reflux diagnostic dilemmas affecting the airway
- Tracheotomy decannulation
- Failure of tracheotomy decannulation
Effective Treatments
To treat upper airway disorders, we offer a combination of medical and surgical approaches:
Approach |
Technique |
| Digital Endoscopic Video Equipment |
Using noninvasive digital endoscopic video equipment to assess upper airway disorders, images are used to help our doctors make a correct diagnosis and determine the best therapy to treat the patient. |
| Pulmonary Lab |
Our clinic is supported by a state-of-the-art pulmonology lab, which has the ability to perform endoscopic-assisted pulmonary function tests and exercise-induced pulmonary function tests. |
| Surgical Treatment |
For those patients who require surgery, our team develops a customizable approach. Airway specialists provide cutting-edge and effective treatment options using lasers, innovative surgical procedures using cartilage and mucosal grafting, and minimally invasive endoscopic techniques such as balloon dilation and stent placement.
All airway reconstructive procedures are performed using either an endoscopic or an “open” approach, depending upon the intervention needed to address the patient’s airway obstruction. |