Catching Lung Problems Early with Virtua Health’s Dr.Syed Riaz
In this month’s Stay Well Health Chat, Andrew Salciunas sits down with Syed Riaz, MD, Interventional Pulmonologist at Virtua Health, to discuss early detection, cutting-edge diagnostics, and minimally invasive treatments…
In this month’s Stay Well Health Chat, Andrew Salciunas sits down with Syed Riaz, MD, Interventional Pulmonologist at Virtua Health, to discuss early detection, cutting-edge diagnostics, and minimally invasive treatments for complex lung conditions.
Dr. Riaz explains that pulmonologists treat far more than COPD and emphysema—think asthma, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary embolism, airway problems, pleural effusions, and especially lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.
He emphasizes that early lung cancer may show no symptoms, making screening essential for high-risk patients.
A highlight of the conversation is robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, a GPS-like navigational system that helps specialists reach and biopsy very small lung nodules—now as small as 8 mm—with diagnostic yields above 90%. This pairs with Virtua’s annual low-dose CT screening program for eligible patients ages 50–80, who are current or former smokers, and have at least a 20 pack-year history, enabling earlier diagnosis and faster referral to curative surgery when appropriate.
For patients with severe emphysema/COPD and hyperinflated lungs, Virtua is the only South Jersey health system offering Zephyr Valve bronchoscopic lung volume reduction—a minimally invasive, one-way valve that helps reduce hyperinflation and improve daily breathing with lower risk than surgical options.
Virtua’s comprehensive lung program brings together interventional pulmonology, advanced lung clinics, pulmonary hypertension expertise, thoracic surgery, and oncology—so patients receive coordinated, tertiary-level care close to home.
Some of the Topics Discussed:
- Many people hear ‘pulmonology’ and think of conditions like COPD or emphysema. What other diseases or conditions do pulmonologists treat?
- What is robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, and what is it for?
- Virtua is the only South Jersey health system to offer the Zephyr valve. What is the Zephyr valve, and who would benefit most from it?
- How do advanced procedures like robotic-assisted bronchoscopy and the Zephyr valve improve a patient’s quality of life and help them get their health on track?
- Are there any future advancements in pulmonology that are trending?
For more information, visit virtua.org/pulmonary or call 856-596-9057.
