Mayo Clinic's top-ranked Pulmonary Medicine Division diagnoses and treats more than 65,000 adults and children with lung (pulmonary) and sleep disorders each year. People with serious and complex medical challenges related to the lungs and breathing find the answers they need from our pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine specialists.

The division is one of the largest, most diverse, comprehensive and well-respected pulmonology and critical care practices in the world. It includes more than 100 experts in pulmonary disease, sleep disorders and critical care.

Collaborative care, focused on you

Our pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine doctors work closely with other Mayo Clinic specialists and allied health professionals to provide exactly the care you need — effective, coordinated, comprehensive. Depending on your situation, our pulmonary medicine team might consult with experts in thoracic surgery; critical care; sleep medicine; pediatric sleep medicine; lung cancer; radiology; radiation oncology; pathology; ear, nose and throat (otorlaryngology); rheumatology; allergy and immunology; neurology; lung transplant; or others as needed. This tradition of collaboration helps ensure your doctor develops an individualized treatment plan that considers your needs and all aspects of your condition.

In addition, our doctors are rapidly advancing and adapting the practice of pulmonary and critical care medicine through a network of virtual consultations and opinions from affiliated institutions worldwide.

In addition, Mayo Clinic Health System clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are in 39 communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. These sites bring Mayo Clinic pulmonary, critical care and sleep disorders services to their local communities.

Top-ranked

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for pulmonology by U.S. News and World Report.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for respiratory disorders by U.S. News and World Report.

Research and innovation that improves your care

Our pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine clinician-scientists and researchers are committed to improving the care of people with diseases and conditions that affect the lungs and breathing. They are at the forefront of innovation in advanced diagnostic and treatment technology, including minimally invasive techniques that have been shown to reduce pain and recovery time.

Our clinician-scientists have developed innovations in bronchoscopy lung volume reduction. This procedure helps people experiencing disorders related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Only a few centers nationwide offer this treatment.

Another advance in endoscopy used by the pulmonary medicine team is robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, which offers better precision and control for pulmonologists biopsying tissue in or near the airway that might be lung cancer. This technique decreases the time from diagnosis to treatment. Mayo Clinic is also one of the first medical centers to offer people with complex central airway stenosis customized airway stents that use 3D printing technology.

Mayo Clinic's strong influence in pulmonary medicine innovation and research extends back decades. Leading up to and during World War II, our researchers transformed aviation by developing the oxygen mask and the G-suit.

Mayo Clinic offers many pulmonary medicine services and procedures, including but not limited to those listed below. Availability of services may vary among Mayo Clinic locations. Please confirm when you call to request an appointment.

Pulmonary and sleep medicine specialists provide management and services for many lung conditions, including but not limited to those listed below. Availability of the services may vary among Mayo Clinic locations. Please confirm when you call to request an appointment.

Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most experienced practices in the United States, with campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Staff skilled in dozens of specialties work together to ensure quality care and successful recovery.

Find doctors and medical staff:

Specialists in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Mayo Clinic are organized by disease-oriented groups to enhance collaboration, research and patient care.

Top-ranked

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for pulmonology by U.S. News and World Report.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for respiratory disorders by U.S. News and World Report.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.

Learn more about Mayo Clinic's quality rankings.

Nationally recognized expertise

Mayo Clinic is recognized for high-quality pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine by a variety of national organizations.

  • Alpha-1 Foundation. Mayo Clinic is an Alpha-1 Foundation Clinical Resource Center.
  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
  • COPD Foundation. Mayo Clinic is an accredited center of the COPD360Net, a select group of centers and networks committed to developing new approaches for helping people with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), bronchiectasis and nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease.
  • Cure HHT. The Cure HHT foundation has designated Mayo Clinic as an hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) Center of Excellence.
  • Cystic Fibrosis Center. Mayo Clinic is a designated Cystic Fibrosis Care Center for children and adults.
  • LAM Foundation. Mayo Clinic is a lymphangioleimyomatosis (LAM) clinic, a designation granted by the LAM Foundation to 34 U.S. medical institutions that have doctors with special interest in treating and researching rare lung diseases.
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Mayo Clinic is a Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Center.
  • Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA). Mayo Clinic is one of a number of select U.S. medical centers specially designated as a PHA-accredited Center of Comprehensive Care. Mayo Clinic has the expertise and resources needed to diagnose and treat people with pulmonary vascular disease.
  • Rare Lung Diseases Consortium. Mayo Clinic is one of 29 U.S. medical centers that are part of this consortium.
  • World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG). Mayo Clinic is a designated WASOG Sarcoidosis Center of Excellent.

These designations by national medical groups are recognition that Mayo Clinic meets strict criteria developed by invited subject matter experts and patient advocates, focusing on whole-person care for best possible outcomes and improved quality of life. At Mayo Clinic, clinical expertise is integrated with established and experimental diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

Mayo Clinic recognizes that high-quality care depends on scientific discovery. Its major research programs in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine are focused on improving care of people with conditions related to the lungs and breathing.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds many Mayo Clinic research projects in this field each year. The Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine has an average of 13 active federal grants a year totaling more than $4 million. NIH cooperation helps create an environment for innovative research in which Mayo Clinic clinician-scientists and researchers produce original research articles that are published in many peer-reviewed journals.

Our pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine researchers are committed to advancing medical innovations. Areas of success include:

  • A new way to analyze people's health based on voice recordings, including detecting pulmonary hypertension
  • A laboratory studying mindful breathing for pulmonary rehabilitation
  • A less invasive way to reduce lung volume in people with emphysema
  • New treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, alveolar proteinosis and many other pulmonary conditions
  • A regenerative medicine approach for helping people with COPD
  • A new generation of bronchoscopic techniques to perform incision-free procedures
  • A new cell-based therapy production facility at its campus in Jacksonville, Florida

Our researchers also carry out a wide range of clinical trials focused on treatment of conditions that affect the lungs and breathing.

Research labs

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Related research centers and programs

Publications

See a list of publications about pulmonary disease and critical care by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients.

Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.

Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.

Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.

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