Diagnosis & treatment for chest & lung conditions

When you’re experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath or other signs of a thoracic (chest or lung) condition, you want to be confident you’re getting the right treatment. That’s because thoracic conditions are complex and can affect multiple organs or damage your lungs and heart.

At Aurora Health Care, our advanced technology and specialized chest and lung expertise help us to diagnose your condition quickly. We offer advanced tools like 4-D ultrasound imaging and robotic surgery, along with compassionate, personalized care.

Chest & lung diagnosis

We use the most advanced diagnostic tests and techniques to diagnose thoracic conditions. For lung diagnosis, tests we may use include:

• Pulmonary function test: We measure your lung capacity and how well your lungs are working.
• CT scan: We may use a traditional computed tomography (CT) scan or a spiral CT scan, which creates a detailed, precise image of your lungs including the blood vessels by circling your body.
• PET scan: This scan tells us about your blood supply and lung activity.
• Brain MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can tell us if a lung condition is affecting your brain.
• Lung scan: This noninvasive scan uses X-rays and special computers to get detailed pictures of your lungs that allows your doctor to spot even the smallest tumors.

We diagnose esophagus conditions using procedures such as:

• CT scan: We may use traditional or spiral CT to view the esophagus.
• Esophageal manometry: This series of swallowing tests shows whether the esophagus is working correctly.
• pH study: We use a small probe or a disposable capsule along with a monitor to measure the amount of stomach acid that enters your esophagus over a 24-hour period.
• Endoscopy: We insert a narrow, lighted tube with a camera to view your esophagus.
• Endoscopic ultrasound: This uses a tube with an ultrasound device to create images of your esophagus, and helps doctors look for inflammation, cysts and other growths.

Chest & lung treatments

We offer coordinated and personalized care with your needs in mind. Whenever possible, we use minimally invasive techniques such as video- and robotic-assisted surgery. These use smaller incisions for a faster recovery and less pain.

An injury or illness in the chest, lung or ribs can be very painful. We work with you to minimize the pain so you can heal while remaining more active and less dependent on medication. We offer minimally invasive procedures for faster healing, and our skilled physical therapists can help you get back on your feet sooner.