New York Methodist
The Institute for Asthma and
Lung Diseases at NY Methodist
N
ew York Methodist
Hospital’s Institute
for Asthma and
Lung Diseases is dedicated
to the delivery of the high-
est quality care for patients
with a broad range of lung
conditions. Board-certified
pediatric and adult pulmo-
nologists diagnose asthma
based on a physical exami-
nation, medical and fam-
ily history and lung function
tests. Other factors, includ-
ing allergens and irritants
patients are exposed to as
well as the severity of the
patients’ symptoms are also
considered. In addition, the
Hospital provides emergen-
cy asthma services for adult
and pediatric patients.
The Institute’s pulmon-
ologists, along with thoracic
surgeons and numerous
other specialists, also treat
obstructive pulmonary dis-
ease (COPD), pulmonary
hypertension, lung cancer,
sleep disorders, occupational
lung disease, interstitial lung
disease and infectious lung
diseases through a variety of
programs and services that
focus on diagnosis, treatment
and management.
One such program —
a recent addition to the
Institute — is the Pulmonary
Hypertension Center, the
only center in Brooklyn that
offers an integrated approach
to the diagnosis and manage-
ment of pulmonary hyper-
tension (PH). Pulmonary
hypertension is a condition
that occurs when tiny arter-
ies in the lungs are narrowed,
blocked or destroyed, caus-
ing pressure to increase in
these arteries. “Pulmonary
hypertension is a very under-
recognized disease,” said
WHO’S WHO IN BROOKLYN MEDICINE • 2010
Left: Suhail Raoof, M.D., chief of pulmonary critical care medicine at NYM.
Right: Richard Lazzaro, M.D., chief of thoracic surgery at NYM, with a patient.
Suhail Raoof, M.D., chief of
pulmonary and critical care
medicine at NYM and head
of the Institute for Asthma
and Lung Diseases. “We are
working to increase aware-
ness because — for the first
time — treatment is available
for this debilitating condi-
tion.
“If PH is suspected,
patients treated at the
Institute may undergo blood
tests, pulmonary examina-
tions, chest imaging and a
cardiac catheterization to
definitively diagnose the
disease.” Right heart cath-
eterization, which directly
measures the pressure in the
pulmonary arteries, is con-
sidered the gold standard for
diagnosing PH. At New York
Methodist Hospital, the test is
performed by board-certified
interventional cardiologists.
“The management of this dis-
ease requires an entire team,”
said Dr. Raoof. “We take a
comprehensive approach to
its treatment and encourage
each patient to be a partner in
his or her care.”
ASTHMA AND LUNG DISEASE
Minimally invasive tho-
racic surgery for the treat-
ment of lung cancer is
another area of expertise
offered by the Institute.
Lung cancer, the second
most diagnosed cancer in
men and women (after pros-
tate and breast), is generally
diagnosed in older individu-
als.
“As the population ages,
there is an increased need
for techniques that are well
tolerated among the elderly,”
explained Richard Lazzaro,
M.D., chief of thoracic sur-
gery at NYM. “For a variety
of reasons, minimally inva-
sive techniques, are easier
for seniors to recover from,
and outcomes are often
much better.” The video-
assisted thoracic surgery
performed by Dr. Lazzaro
requires just four small inci-
sions, keeping blood loss to
a minimum.
Patients at New York
Methodist who have lung
cancer are treated by a team
of physicians that includes
pulmonologists, radiologists
and oncologists. “There is
never just a single pair of
eyes looking at the patient,”
said Dr. Lazzaro. “We use a
multidisciplinary approach,
working together to deter-
mine the best and most
appropriate treatment for
each patient.”
For more information
on the Institute for Asthma
and Lung Diseases at NYM,
please call (718) 780-5835, or
visit www.nym.org.
New York
Methodist
501 Sixth Street
Wesley House 7A
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215
718-780-5367
Suhail Raoof, M.D., Chief of
Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine
Richard Lazzaro, M.D., Chief of
Thoracic Surgery
HOURS:
Thursday, 9 a.m. — 5 p.m.
TRANSPORTATION:
F Train to 9th Street/B 67
WHO’S WHO 2010 15
15