About Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine

The Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital provides comprehensive care for the full range of respiratory conditions and diseases.

Leaders in Treating Lung Diseases

U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Mass General pulmonology among the best in the nation. We have a general pulmonary practice (Pulmonary Associates), 11 subspecialty clinics, an interventional pulmonology program and a critical care program.

All of our patients receive individualized care coordinated by a multidisciplinary team that includes a chest radiologist, lung surgeon, lung cancer specialist and lung pathologist. These specialists work together to offer superb diagnostic capabilities and expert insight into a wide span of medical and surgical therapies.

Comprehensive Pulmonary Care

We deliver comprehensive care for all lung and breathing conditions and diseases in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Among our physicians' clinical areas of expertise:

• Acute lung injury
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Control of breathing
• Cystic fibrosis
• Interstitial lung disease
• Lung transplantation
• Occupational and environmental lung disease
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• Pulmonary vascular disease (including pulmonary hypertension)
• Sarcoidosis
• Sleep apnea
• Unexplained shortness of breath

Special Tests & Procedures

The Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine has comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, offering a number of special tests and procedures. For example, we are skilled in interventional pulmonology, an emerging field that focuses on sophisticated, less invasive diagnostic methods and therapeutic procedures. In addition, we are one of the few institutions capable of performing advanced-level cardiopulmonary exercise tests.

Other tests and procedures

• Bronchoscopy
• Exercise stress testing
• Methacholine challenge testing
• Pulmonary function assessment
• Right heart catheterization
• Sputum induction

Treating Critical Illnesses

Staffed 24/7 by board-certified intensivists, our Critical Care Unit comprises two inpatient units, the Medical Intensive Care Unit and the Respiratory Acute Care Unit. We care for critically ill patients with severe diseases, both pulmonary and otherwise.

Respiratory failure, gastrointestinal bleeding and severe infections are among the most common conditions we treat in the Critical Care Unit. We offer advanced therapies such as:

• Continuous dialysis
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
• Lung transplantation
• Mechanical ventilation

An Emphasis on Education & Research

As part of a world-renowned teaching hospital, we are committed to educating the next generation of clinicians and researchers. Our training programs attract outstanding residents and fellows who graduated at the top of their classes and bring fresh energy to patient care.

Our division investigates many different types of conditions through active research programs in both basic science and clinical research. Within the Critical Care Unit, patients can participate in clinical trials that examine the genetic basis of illness and often provide access to promising new therapies.