USA Health names director of interventional pulmonology

By Michelle Ryan
mryan@health.southalabama.edu

Robert Petrossian, M.D., who recently joined USA Health as an interventional pulmonologist, will serve as the director of interventional pulmonology and assistant professor of internal medicine at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, the academic health system of the University of South Alabama.

Petrossian completed an interventional pulmonology and advanced bronchoscopy fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the original and largest campus of the nonprofit academic medical center focused on integrated healthcare, education and research.

“I enjoy the procedural aspect of pulmonary and critical care medicine, and I wanted to learn all the cutting-edge procedures,” he said, “so I did an extra fellowship in interventional pulmonology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I am excited to bring all these new procedures to South Alabama.”

Interventional pulmonologists use endoscopy and other tools to diagnose and treat conditions in the lungs and chest. Among the innovative procedures Petrossian learned was robotic bronchoscopy, therapeutic bronchoscopy and medical thoracoscopy, all of which allow healthcare professionals to see and treat parts of the lung that were previously inaccessible. It offers a less invasive option to treat and diagnose thoracic diseases.

Getting experience in breakthrough techniques such as these is what influenced Petrossian to practice in an academic health system.

“I enjoy teaching and being on the cutting edge of medical care,” he said.

Petrossian earned his medical degree at Yerevan State Medical University in Yerevan, Armenia, where he also completed a clinical epidemiology residency. He finished an internal medicine residency at Flushing Hospital Medical Center in Queens, New York, where he was selected chief internal medicine resident and was also named resident of the year during his second and third years.

He followed that with fellowships in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of South Alabama and interventional pulmonology and advanced bronchoscopy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

He is board-certified in critical care medicine and pulmonary disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine, and in interventional pulmonology by the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology.

Petrossian has experience treating acute respiratory distress syndrome, advanced emphysema, lung cancer, pneumothorax, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease and more.

“I like the idea of providing immediate relief or answers to patient's complaints/problems,” he said of what drew him to his field.

He is accepting new patients at the Mastin Internal Medicine Clinic located at 2451 University Hospital Drive, Suite 102 in Mobile. To schedule an appointment, call 251-470-5890.