What are airway conditions and disorders?
The airway, also known as the respiratory tract, is made up of many specialized organs and structures that enable us to breathe. The upper airway includes the nasal cavities, pharynx, larynx, trachea, epiglottis, and glottis. The lower airway includes the bronchi, bronchioles, and alveolar structures.
There are many types of airway conditions, cancerous and noncancerous, and they can be caused by disease, structural abnormalities, injury, and factors such as infection, allergies, and medical treatments. Issues can be acute or chronic and can arise in both the upper and lower portions of the airway.
Comprehensive Care for Every Airway Condition
UT Southwestern’s multidisciplinary airway program includes physicians and surgeons who specialize in ear, nose, and throat (otolaryngology); lung (pulmonology); thoracic surgery; and cancer (oncology). Many of these experts see patients at UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Texas.