Comprehensive Care for Every Airway Condition
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.
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.
Types of Airway Conditions
Airway conditions
include:
Diagnosis of Airway Conditions
If our team suspects that someone is suffering from an airway condition,
we first conduct a thorough physical examination and inquire about the patient’s
and family’s medical history. Diagnostic testing for airway conditions can
include:
Treatment of Airway Conditions
The treatment for airway
conditions depends on the nature of the problem. UT Southwestern offers treatments
that include:
- Medications, from bronchodilator and
anti-inflammatory drugs to antibiotics
- Surgery
- Cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other targeted
therapies