Interventional Pulmonology · Aberdeen, South Dakota
The best available, close to home.
Robotic bronchoscopy, early lung cancer detection and advanced airway care — once found only at major academic centers, now here in the Dakotas.
Dr. Ashley with the Ion robotic bronchoscopy system
Why speed matters
Tumor volume at a 90-day doubling time, drawn to scale. Nine months of waiting can mean up to eight times the volume.
Early detection and rapid treatment change outcomes.
Using state-of-the-art technology, we can — and do — identify stage one lung cancers, when patients have a 90% five-year survival rate. Then we move quickly: what typically takes months from detection to treatment happens here in days.
From detection to treatment. In some cases, as brief as 18 hours.
Care we provide
Advanced lung care, without the long drive.
Many procedures we offer, such as those using stents, valves and rigid bronchoscopy, were once limited to major medical centers. They are now available here in the Dakotas.
Signature program
Robotic Bronchoscopy
Guided by the Ion system from Intuitive, a thin robotic catheter reaches small nodules deep in the lung that conventional bronchoscopy cannot.
Lung Cancer
Had a lung nodule found on a scan? We evaluate it quickly, from low-dose CT screening to robotic biopsy, so you have answers in days rather than months.
Diagnosis & Staging
Minimally invasive biopsy and staging, with a diagnostic yield exceeding 96%, so a treatment plan can begin in days.
COPD & Emphysema
Rapid, accurate diagnosis and advanced treatment, including endobronchial valves for patients who are candidates.
Airway Stents & Rigid Bronchoscopy
Therapeutic airway procedures to restore and protect breathing, performed close to home.
Pleural Disease
Evaluation and management of conditions affecting the lining of the lungs and chest wall.
Our technology
Reaching the unreachable.
Dakota Pulmonary works at the forefront of interventional pulmonology. We use the Ion system, developed by Intuitive — pioneers in robotic-assisted surgery — to reach remote lung tissue that conventional bronchoscopy cannot, making accurate, early diagnosis possible where it was not before.
Get screened
Should you have a lung scan?
Lung cancer rarely causes symptoms early. If you are 50 to 80 and have a history of smoking, a low-dose CT scan can find it while it is still highly treatable — and you will likely qualify for little to no cost.
Answer four questions to see whether national screening guidelines apply to you.
Your physician
Deptmer M. Ashley, MD
Pulmonary Diseases · Interventional Pulmonology
Dr. Ashley founded Dakota Pulmonary to bring world-class lung care home to South Dakota. He completed his pulmonary training at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, within the world-renowned Texas Medical Center ecosystem alongside MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he honed his expertise in interventional pulmonology.
- TrainingPulmonary Disease & Critical Care Medicine, UTHealth Houston
- ExpertiseInterventional pulmonology, MD Anderson Cancer Center
- ResidencyInternal Medicine, Tripler Army Medical Center
- CertificationAmerican Board of Internal Medicine
In the United States, someone is diagnosed with lung cancer every 2.5 minutes. Over half are found at an advanced stage. We are here to change that.
Our mission
Visit us
Begin with a conversation.
Set an appointment with us by phone or at the office. Referring providers can send records and referrals by fax.