Spirometry is a way of measuring how well your lungs are functioning. It can be used to diagnose lung disorders, or to test the effectiveness of medication you may be taking for lung-related problems such as asthma.At The London Clinic, our team of doctors perform spirometry to determine how well your lungs are working. This can be done as an outpatient procedure and is a key part of your respiratory investigation.
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Spirometry
Also known as: Respiratory and chest services
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What is it for?
Used to diagnose lung disorders
On this page
Treatment overview
What does spirometry measure?
Spirometry is the commonest form of lung function tests. It measures the speed and volume with which your lungs fill up with and expel air when you breathe. The most common measurements for this test are:
- Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1): this measures how much air you can forcibly blow out in one second. In normal healthy lungs, between 70 and 80% of the air in the lungs can be forcibly expelled in this time.
- Forced vital capacity: this is the amount of air you can fully and forcibly expel in a single breath.
- Forced expiratory ratio (FEV1/FVC): this is the ratio (proportion) of air blown out in the first second taken as a fraction of the total amount of air that is finally expelled following a forced expiration.
- Peak expiratory flow (PEF): unlike the above which measure air volume, this measures how fast you can forcibly breathe out, in other words the maximum speed of airflow during expiration.
Diagnostic information
Why have spirometry?
Spirometry can help your doctor to diagnose and judge the severity of various lung diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis. Spirometry can also be used to assess how well you are responding to treatment for one of these conditions.
Body plethysmography
Body plethysmography is a technique to analyse other aspects of pulmonary function tests. By seating the patient inside a see-through sealed unit that holds a known pressure and volume of air, adjustments can be made to accurately measure the following:
- Resistance in the airways
- Different volumes of air in the lungs (including functional residual capacity and total lung capacity).
This test is completed as part of a full lung function test.
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
- Diagnostics before admission (unless agreed in your plan)
- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
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We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.