Dyspnea Clinic
The Dyspnea Clinic, based at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre and South Health Campus, is a specialized clinic aiming to offer comprehensive outpatient management of patients suffering from malignant pleural effusions (MPE). In order to facilitate access for patients living south of the city and to accommodate the increasing number of referrals, we have opened a secondary clinic at the South Health Campus.
Overview
Our approach is centered on the use of tunnelled pleural catheters (PleurxTMsystem) which allow successful outpatient treatment with minimal complications in the majority of patients. We aim to assess patients within 1-2 weeks of receiving a referral. Patients seen in clinic can undergo thoracentesis, pleural biopsy or Pleurx catheter insertion during their clinic visit.
We have now placed countless catheters, giving us one of the largest single centre experience world-wide for this technique which has become the preferred treatment for MPE in Calgary, over and above chest tube or thoracoscopic pleurodesis.
Dyspnea Clinic
Referral Process
For referrals or patients being discharged from emergency rooms or in-patient units, referral requests may be ordered in the Sunrise medical record or through Connect Care “Ambulatory referral to Pulmonology”, selecting CGY TBCC DYSPNEA CLINIC / Calgary Tom Baker Cancer Center Dyspnea Clinic” as the referred to department.”
Joycelyn Stumm Odney, RN
Fax 403 270.8407 Phone 403 521.3511
For additional information refer to the Alberta Referral directory
Other enquiries: email Dr. Alain Tremblay alain.tremblay@ucalgary.ca
Alberta Referral Directory/Dyspnea and Pleurx Clinics