Shaping the Future of Anesthesia in Interventional Pulmonology

It is quite safe to state that the future of interventional pulmonology (IP) is inextricably linked with the future of interventional pulmonary anesthesia (IPA). Interventional pulmonology (IP) is an evolving subspecialty within pulmonary medicine, which is procedurally focused and simulates a hybrid practice of pulmonary medicine and thoracic surgery. While no surgeon would seriously contemplate performing thoracic surgery without the assistance of trained thoracic anesthesiologists, interventional pulmonologists often lack such focused support. The increasingly complex minimally invasive procedures being performed by interventional pulmonologists are made possible only by close collaboration with the anesthesiologist and require a similar evolution in this subspecialty of anesthesiology. Shaping the future of IP will be impossible without concurrent advancements in anesthesia techniques, management strategies, patient safety protocols, technological innovations, and extensive interdisciplinary collaboration.