Multidisciplinary Care for Cystic Fibrosis

Norton Pulmonary Specialists is a leader in treating lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis for patients in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

The board-certified and fellowship-trained specialists at Norton Pulmonary Specialists have the experience and training to manage your cystic fibrosis. We work closely with specialists across the Norton Healthcare network, including Norton Children’s, to provide comprehensive care.

Our pulmonary specialists and interventional pulmonologists help manage medications, therapy and treatments for patients with cystic fibrosis. Norton Pulmonary Specialists also co-manages patients who are hospitalized in any Norton Healthcare facilities.

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system, especially the pancreas. Over time, it limits the patient’s ability to breathe.

In people with cystic fibrosis, mucus becomes extraordinarily thick and sticky. The mucus can clog airways and trap bacteria.

The buildup of mucus in the pancreas inhibits digestive enzymes that help the body absorb nutrients. Thick mucus also can block the liver’s bile duct.

To inherit cystic fibrosis, you need a copy of the defective gene from both your mother and your father. A gene carrier may not have the disease.

Each time two cystic fibrosis gene carriers have a child, there is a 1 in 4 chance the child will have cystic fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis Treatment

Decades ago, a child with cystic fibrosis rarely lived more than five years. Advances in treatment now mean that cystic fibrosis patients live to have children of their own. Still, there is no cure, and the best medicine can offer is symptom management.

Cystic fibrosis patients undergo a daily regimen that includes:

• Loosening and clearing thick mucus in the lungs
• Inhaling medication to help open airways and fight lung infections
• Enzyme supplements that help the body absorb nutrients
• A customized fitness plan
• Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulators designed to correct the malfunctioning protein created by the defective gene: These drugs are effective only for people with very specific genetic mutations.

We meet as a team every week to collaborate on all of our cases, to bring you comprehensive care. When you work with Norton Pulmonary Specialists you work with a team of research specialists, physicians and medical professionals dedicated to finding the best treatment for you.

Care That’s Convenient for You

• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is recognized by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as an accredited Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center — the only one in Kentucky. This distinction highlights our physicians’ expertise in pulmonary hypertension, especially pulmonary arterial hypertension, and their commitment to improving care and outcomes for patients with this life-threatening condition.
• Our staff includes interventional pulmonologists who are trained and experienced in minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment, including robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, meaning you’ll have access to advanced technology for your care.
• We have seven convenient Louisville-area locations: Northeastern Louisville, downtown Louisville, Newburg, Pleasure Ridge Park and Mount Washington, Kentucky; in Southern Indiana, Jeffersonville and Scottsburg.
• We provide pulmonary care and respiratory management of critical care patients at Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Hospital.
• Norton Healthcare’s pulmonary rehabilitation program has three locations in Louisville and is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
• We work as a team with referring physicians, including pediatricians.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.

About Norton Pulmonary Specialists

The board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with Norton Pulmonary Specialists are leaders in caring for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and other lung diseases.

• More than two dozen board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with extensive experience specialize in diagnosis and management of all forms of lung diseases and sleep disorders, so you can get the care you need.
• The Norton Pulmonary Specialists team pursues leading-edge treatments, and our specialists are investigators on many clinical trials that give patients access to the latest treatments.
• Our specialists use robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to perform minimally invasive biopsies of the lung, which allows for greater precision during the important diagnostic procedure.  
• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is accredited by the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
• Our providers will give you a precise diagnosis and develop a customized treatment plan for your lung condition, so you can get back to living your best life.
• For asthma, your physician will work with you to develop a written asthma action plan to help you manage your symptoms.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.
• Communicate with your provider, manage appointments, refill prescriptions and more anytime from a computer or mobile device with a free Norton MyChart account.
• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is the only site in Kentucky accredited by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as a Center for Comprehensive Care.