Pulmonologist Dr. Kalyan Kosuri has joined the practice of Turlock Pulmonary and Sleep Specialists where he expects to treat a variety of conditions ranging from COPD and asthma to lung cancer.
“The physiology of the lung and how it works is what attracted me to the specialty. I also like the critical-care aspect where everything happens in minutes or hours and a patient can improve quickly. That’s gratifying” he said.
Dr. Kosuri earned his medical degree in 2001 at Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India, and completed a rotating internship at Osmania General Hospital in 2002. For the next year he did further training at Image Hospitals in Hyderabad.
Accepted in the Masters in Public Health program at Northern Illinois University, Dr. Kosuri moved to the United States in 2004. He earned his Master’s in Public Health in 2005 and in 2008 completed an internal medicine residency at Michigan State University in East Lansing where he received the Outstanding Senior Resident award.
He finished a three-year pulmonary/critical care fellowship at Wayne State University in Detroit before to moving to Turlock this summer.
During training Dr. Kosuri participated in research of pulmonary hypertension in chronic kidney disease and also studied pulmonary abnormalities associated with silicosis, an occupational lung disease of miners. He is encouraged by recent research and new drugs to treat pulmonary hypertension and targeted treatments for lung cancer.
“During fellowship training we saw a lot of different kinds of diseases including COPD, asthma, lung cancer and pulmonary hypertension,” he says. “We could focus in on one pulmonary subspecialty and I chose pulmonary hypertension.”
But during the winter, he’s most busy with upper respiratory infections.
“The lining of the lungs is similar to the lining of your nose and throat,” Dr. Kosuri explained. “That’s why an upper respiratory infection can develop into pneumonia.”Pneumonia isn’t a big worry for most people who get a cold or the flu, but for some people it’s a real danger.
“People with lung disease, heart disease, COPD are especially at risk,” he said. “The flu vaccine is recommended for most people, but is especially important for people with lung disease, COPD, heart disease, immunosuppression and people over 60.”
Dr. Kosuri believes prevention is the best strategy when it comes to flu season, and prevention begins with a flu shot. The second prevention priority is cough and sneeze hygiene.
“The main way the flu is spread is through droplets,” he said. “If you have a respiratory illness, try to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. To prevent getting ill, clean your hands frequently, and try not to put your hands to your face.”
Dr. Kosuri can be reached at Turlock Pulmonary and Sleep Specialists, located in the Tower Health & Wellness Center at 1801 Colorado Avenue, Suite 220, (209) 216-3420.