Bronchial Thermoplasty and Other Innovative Asthma Treatments

Norton Pulmonary Specialists have the training and experience to provide innovative asthma treatment, such as bronchial thermoplasty, to patients in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

The board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians at Norton Pulmonary Specialists can provide a precise diagnosis for your asthma and develop a customized treatment plan.

Our interventional pulmonologists perform bronchial thermoplasty, a revolutionary and minimally invasive treatment for severe asthma that reduces the rate of asthma attacks. Bronchial thermoplasty can help you if you have persistent, severe asthma.

Your pulmonologist uses a bronchoscope — a small flexible tube — to reach areas of your respiratory system where your airways are prone to constriction from excess smooth muscle. While you are sedated, the pulmonologist threads the bronchoscope through your mouth or nose and delivers a controlled dose of mild heat to the troublesome area.

The treatment typically helps control asthma for up to a year, with fewer severe attacks and fewer asthma symptoms.

Bronchial thermoplasty takes about an hour to complete, with no incision. Patients typically are monitored for up to four hours before going home the same day. Asthma symptoms may worsen for a few days following the treatment before longer-term improvement is noticeable.

Leading-edge Asthma Treatment and Testing

Norton Pulmonary Specialists has a large research department and participates in many research trials, so you have access to the latest asthma treatments.

We can make a more precise asthma diagnosis by conducting “FeNO” testing to measure nitric oxide. Inflammation produces nitrous oxide gas. Measuring how much of it you exhale in a FeNO test gives a clear indication of how much inflammation you have. It also shows how effectively steroids and other treatments have reduced inflammation.

We’re also experienced in the latest medicine therapies, such as a new biologic class of medications to treat asthma symptoms.

Care That’s Convenient for You

• Our staff includes interventional pulmonologists who are trained and experienced in minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment, including robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, meaning you’ll have access to advanced technology for your care.
• We have seven convenient Louisville-area locations: Northeastern Louisville, downtown Louisville, Newburg, Pleasure Ridge Park and Mount Washington, Kentucky; in Southern Indiana, Jeffersonville and Scottsburg.
• We provide pulmonary care and respiratory management of critical care patients at Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Hospital.
• Norton Healthcare’s pulmonary rehabilitation program has three locations in Louisville and is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
• We work as a team with referring physicians, including pediatricians.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.

About Norton Pulmonary Specialists

The board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with Norton Pulmonary Specialists are leaders in caring for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and other lung diseases.

• More than two dozen board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with extensive experience specialize in diagnosis and management of all forms of lung diseases and sleep disorders, so you can get the care you need.
• The Norton Pulmonary Specialists team pursues leading-edge treatments, and our specialists are investigators on many clinical trials that give patients access to the latest treatments.
• Our specialists use robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to perform minimally invasive biopsies of the lung, which allows for greater precision during the important diagnostic procedure.  
• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is accredited by the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
• Our providers will give you a precise diagnosis and develop a customized treatment plan for your lung condition, so you can get back to living your best life.
• For asthma, your physician will work with you to develop a written asthma action plan to help you manage your symptoms.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.
• Communicate with your provider, manage appointments, refill prescriptions and more anytime from a computer or mobile device with a free Norton MyChart account.