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Interventional Pulmonologist Joins Capital Health

Advanced diagnostics and treatments for lung disease and cancer

Interventional pulmonology uses endoscopy as a non-surgical approach to diagnose and treat complex conditions of the lung and chest, including lung cancer. Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell is now one of five hospitals in the region (and one of only two in New Jersey) to offer true interventional pulmonology services.

Dr. Diana Kolman, director of Interventional Pulmonology at Capital Health, is fellowship trained in performing non-surgical endoscopic procedures in the airways and chest cavity to diagnose and treat primary lung cancer (and cancers that metastasize to the lung), airway obstructions, enlargement of the mediastinal lymph nodes, pleural diseases, and undiagnosed lung nodules and masses. Most procedures are performed on an outpatient basis.

“Interventional pulmonology requires a multidisciplinary approach, and I’m excited to be part of an organization that is committed to advancing lung care and expanding the comprehensive services it offers to the region,” said Dr. Kolman. “Collaborating with referring physicians and the specialists at Capital Health Cancer Center, and with access to cutting-edge diagnostic and imaging technology at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, we’re able to accurately diagnose a patient’s condition and develop a treatment plan that is tailored to their specific needs.”

Dr. Kolman performs advanced upper thoracic tests and procedures that include:

  • Electromagnetic Navigation (EMN) bronchoscopy — Using a detailed 3D map of the lungs generated from a CT chest scan data, sensor-equipped instruments are guided to lung nodules beyond the reach of traditional bronchoscopy techniques to obtain biopsies and avoid more invasive testing techniques.
  • Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) — Used to diagnose and stage lung cancer and biopsy lymph nodes with more precision; often used in conjunction with EMN.
  • Rigid bronchoscopy — A long metal tube is advanced into the windpipe and main airways, which allows our experts to use more sophisticated surgical tools and techniques in the lungs and chest area.
  • Placement of self-expanding stents/silicone stents — During a bronchoscopy, a wire mesh tube is placed in a narrowed or blocked airway and expanded to relieve symptoms caused by the blockage.
  • Ablation and Cryotherapies — Used to remove or reduce the size of endobronchial tumors before proceeding to additional treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation.
  • Tunneled Catheter Placement — A method of draining recurrent pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs). Typically used during lung cancer treatment.
  • Pleuroscopy — A specialized type of endoscope is used in the chest cavity to diagnose some conditions of the pleura (lung lining). This provides a view of the outside edges of the lung that cannot be seen using bronchoscopy.
  • Pleurodesis — For people with recurring fluid around the lungs, a plastic tube is inserted into the chest cavity through which a treatment is sprayed around the lung that causes the pleura (lung lining) to adhere to the chest wall and prevent fluid from building up.
  • Transthoracic biopsies with fiducial marker placement for stereotactic radiosurgery.

Dr. Kolman is board certified in pulmonary disease and critical care medicine. After completing her internship and residency at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, Dr. Kolman was fellowship trained in interventional pulmonology at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ. She received her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine, in Dominica/ West Indies.

Call 609-815-7390 for more information about Dr. Kolman and the interventional pulmonology services offered at Capital Health.