National Jewish Opens Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Center

National Jewish Medical and Research Center has opened its new Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Center (MIDC), which offers cutting-edge out-patient procedures that might otherwise require invasive surgery and a stay in the hospital. The center, the only one of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region, is led by Ali Musani, MD, FCCP, one of the world’s leading interventional pulmonologists.

Dr. Musani and the MIDC offer a variety of diagnostic, therapeutic and palliative procedures, including the early diagnosis and staging of lung cancer and other diseases of the chest, treatment of airway obstructions caused by cancer and other disorders, removal of foreign bodies from the lungs, and the placement of stents in the airways. In addition,  pulmonologists, gastroenterologists and otolaryngologists will perform many other procedures, including bronchoscopy, endoscopy, colonoscopy, laryngoscopy and allergic desensitization.

Dr. Musani will also be conducting several clinical trials, including bronchial thermoplasty for asthma, and the placement of a valve or bypass stents, instead of surgery, for the treatment of emphysema.

“Dr. Musani’s rare expertise, combined with the state-of-the-art equipment we have installed, allows National Jewish to offer services available at only a handful of centers around the world,” said Michael Salem, MD, President and CEO of National Jewish. “Patients and physicians will have a completely updated and comfortable location for a variety of diagnostic and minimally invasive procedures.”

Before coming to National Jewish, Dr. Musani was the Associate Director of the Interventional Pulmonary Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He trained in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and in Interventional Pulmonology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Interventional pulmonology relies on rapidly advancing technology to bridge the gap between thoracic surgery and general pulmonary medicine. The procedures are most commonly performed with a bronchoscope inserted in the patient’s airway. A growing range of tiny tools, including a high-definition camera, ultrasound probe, lasers, needles and forceps, can be threaded through the bronchoscope to guide and perform the procedures both inside and near the airways. In addition, Dr. Musani can use a Super Dimension navigation system to find even very tiny lung nodules that need examination.

“A minimally invasive approach combined with mind-boggling technology allows interventional pulmonology to achieve what was unimaginable just a few years ago or required invasive and extensive surgeries,” said Dr. Musani. “I am thrilled to be at National Jewish. The tremendous expertise of the physicians and staff here, and the obvious commitment to advancing pulmonary medicine make it a very exciting place to practice medicine and conduct research.”