5 Leading Pulmonary Fibrosis and ILD Centres in Kraków

Finding specialist care can be important when pulmonary fibrosis or another interstitial lung disease (ILD) is suspected. ILD includes many different conditions, and identifying the specific type can require specialist imaging, lung-function testing, laboratory investigations, and expertise from more than one medical specialty.

Kraków has several services relevant to pulmonary fibrosis and ILD. These range from highly specialized hospital departments for interstitial lung disease and lung transplantation to pulmonology and rheumatology services that can be particularly useful in specific situations.

The five centres below are not ranked from best to worst. They also do not all provide the same level or type of care. Some are tertiary referral services, while others have a more focused outpatient or autoimmune-related role. The most appropriate option depends on the type of ILD being investigated, the services required, referral arrangements, and discussions with your healthcare team.

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Why can specialist ILD care matter?

Specialist ILD care can help bring together the different types of information needed to distinguish one interstitial lung disease from another.

Pulmonary fibrosis means that scar tissue has formed in the lungs. It is not one single disease.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is one specific type. Other fibrosing ILDs can be associated with systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other connective-tissue diseases, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, occupational or environmental exposures, medicines, sarcoidosis, and additional causes.

This distinction matters because medical management can differ considerably depending on the underlying condition.

International IPF guidelines emphasize high-resolution computed tomography and multidisciplinary discussion when making difficult diagnostic decisions. Depending on the individual situation, respiratory medicine, thoracic radiology, pathology, and rheumatology expertise may all be relevant.

Not everyone requires every investigation. For example, lung tissue sampling is not routinely appropriate in every suspected case of IPF.

For a broader introduction, read mama health's guide to pulmonary fibrosis.

Which are 5 leading pulmonary fibrosis and ILD centres in Kraków?

Five Kraków services stand out for documented expertise relevant to pulmonary fibrosis, ILD, specialist respiratory assessment, or autoimmune-associated lung disease.

The list includes both major hospital services and more focused specialist options. It should not be interpreted as a clinical ranking.

1. Krakowski Szpital Specjalistyczny im. św. Jana Pawła II — Interstitial Lung Disease and Transplantation Department

The Interstitial Lung Disease and Transplantation Department at Krakowski Szpital Specjalistyczny im. św. Jana Pawła II is one of the most specifically focused ILD services in Kraków.

The department is dedicated to interstitial lung disease and lung transplantation.

Its clinical work includes antifibrotic therapies for fibrosing lung diseases and immunosuppressive treatment for selected forms of ILD when medically appropriate.

The service is also involved in assessment and preparation for lung transplantation. It provides care after transplantation and works with an endoscopy unit where bronchoscopic investigations are performed.

Lung transplantation has been performed at the hospital since 2023. The first transplant undertaken there involved irreversible pulmonary fibrosis resulting from an interstitial lung disease.

This combination of ILD expertise and transplantation services makes the centre particularly relevant when lung disease is complex or advanced.

Location: ul. Prądnicka 80, 31-202 Kraków

Why consider it: dedicated ILD expertise, antifibrotic care, advanced respiratory services, and lung transplantation assessment.

2. Szpital Uniwersytecki w Krakowie — Clinical Department of Pulmonology, Allergology and Internal Medicine

The pulmonary department at Szpital Uniwersytecki w Krakowie is a reference respiratory centre for southern Poland with documented expertise in interstitial and rare lung diseases.

Its clinical profile specifically includes interstitial lung diseases, sarcoidosis, and several rare respiratory conditions.

The department provides an extensive range of investigations. These include chest CT, bronchoscopy, transbronchial biopsy where appropriate, spirometry, body plethysmography, and measurement of diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, usually referred to as DLCO.

Pulmonary rehabilitation and physiotherapy are also part of its respiratory services.

Current Polish programme listings also identify Szpital Uniwersytecki as a Kraków service involved in care for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and broader interstitial lung disease.

Location: ul. Macieja Jakubowskiego 2, 30-688 Kraków

Why consider it: broad ILD assessment, advanced lung-function testing, bronchoscopy, rare lung disease expertise, and respiratory rehabilitation.

3. 5 Wojskowy Szpital Kliniczny z Polikliniką — Pulmonary Services

5 Wojskowy Szpital Kliniczny provides specialist respiratory services and is currently listed in Kraków pathways for both IPF and broader fibrosing ILD care.

The hospital has a dedicated Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis Outpatient Clinic as well as a clinical lung disease department.

Its official outpatient information confirms a specialist pulmonology team, while current programme information identifies the hospital as a service providing the Polish programme for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the programme covering relevant forms of interstitial lung disease.

This makes the hospital particularly relevant when specialist pulmonology follow-up or access to a national ILD treatment pathway is required.

Referral requirements and programme eligibility can change, so current arrangements should be confirmed directly with the hospital before attending.

Location: ul. Wrocławska 1–3, 30-901 Kraków

Why consider it: specialist pulmonology and current involvement in IPF and wider ILD programme pathways.

4. Szpital Specjalistyczny im. J. Dietla — Rheumatology and Immunology Services

Szpital Specjalistyczny im. J. Dietla can be particularly relevant when an interstitial lung disease is associated with a systemic autoimmune or connective-tissue disease.

This is an important distinction from the primarily pulmonary centres above.

Conditions such as systemic sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis can involve the lungs and lead to interstitial changes or progressive fibrosis. In these situations, rheumatology expertise may form an important part of specialist assessment.

The hospital's Małopolskie Centrum Reumatologii, Immunologii i Rehabilitacji has extensive expertise in systemic rheumatic conditions. Current NFZ-derived service information also identifies its rheumatology service within the Polish B.135 pathway for interstitial lung disease.

This does not make the hospital a general IPF centre. Its particular relevance is when ILD occurs alongside, or is suspected to be related to, systemic autoimmune disease.

Locations include: ul. Skarbowa 1 and ul. Stefana Batorego 3, Kraków

Why consider it: specialist rheumatology and immunology expertise when connective-tissue-disease-associated ILD is part of the medical picture.

5. Krakowskie Centrum Diagnostyczno Kliniczne — Pulmonology

Krakowskie Centrum Diagnostyczno Kliniczne provides a private outpatient pulmonology option and specifically lists interstitial lung diseases among the conditions covered by its pulmonary service.

Its pulmonology service includes specialist consultations and spirometry.

This is a different type of service from a tertiary ILD hospital. The centre does not publicly describe the same range of advanced pulmonary fibrosis services, transplant assessment, or national IPF programme infrastructure available at Kraków's large specialist hospitals.

It may therefore be more relevant for outpatient pulmonary consultation or initial specialist assessment than for highly complex ILD investigation.

If advanced ILD diagnostics or a fibrosis-specific treatment programme is required, it can be useful to ask whether assessment at a tertiary respiratory centre is also relevant.

Location: al. płk. Władysława Beliny-Prażmowskiego 60, 31-514 Kraków

Why consider it: private outpatient pulmonology, spirometry, and stated experience with interstitial lung diseases.

Where can you go if pulmonary fibrosis has not been confirmed yet?

A service with broad ILD expertise can be particularly useful when lung fibrosis has been seen or suspected but its cause remains unclear.

An ILD assessment is not simply a search for fibrosis on a scan.

The medical team may need to consider the pattern and distribution of changes on HRCT, lung-function results, previous imaging, medicines, work history, environmental exposures, autoimmune symptoms, laboratory findings, and other medical conditions.

For suspected IPF, clinicians also need to consider whether another identifiable cause could explain the interstitial lung disease.

This is one reason multidisciplinary expertise can matter.

In Kraków, both Krakowski Szpital Specjalistyczny im. św. Jana Pawła II and Szpital Uniwersytecki have substantial documented ILD services. The appropriate referral route depends on the medical circumstances.

If symptoms or investigations also suggest systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, another connective-tissue disease, or a systemic inflammatory condition, rheumatology involvement may be relevant.

For more background before a specialist visit, read mama health's guide to common pulmonary fibrosis symptoms.

What tests can be used when investigating pulmonary fibrosis or ILD?

Pulmonary fibrosis and ILD are usually investigated by combining medical history, imaging, lung-function tests, and selected additional investigations.

High-resolution CT is particularly important because different ILDs can produce different radiological patterns.

Pulmonary function testing may include spirometry, lung volumes, and DLCO. These tests describe different aspects of respiratory function.

A six-minute walk test may also be used in some specialist services to assess exercise capacity and oxygen levels during activity.

Depending on the clinical question, other investigations can include blood tests, autoimmune testing, bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage, transbronchial biopsy, cryobiopsy, or surgical lung biopsy.

Not everyone requires these procedures.

International guidelines specifically recommend considering the HRCT pattern and clinical context before deciding whether tissue sampling is appropriate.

For more detail about one specific type of fibrosing lung disease, see mama health's guide to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Where can treatment for pulmonary fibrosis be accessed in Kraków?

Several Kraków hospitals are involved in specialist treatment pathways for IPF or other forms of progressive fibrosing ILD.

Poland has national drug programmes covering idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and specified forms of broader interstitial lung disease.

Krakowski Szpital Specjalistyczny im. św. Jana Pawła II, Szpital Uniwersytecki, and 5 Wojskowy Szpital Kliniczny appear in current Kraków programme listings relevant to pulmonary fibrosis or ILD.

For autoimmune-associated disease, rheumatology services can also be involved in the B.135 ILD pathway when current eligibility criteria are met.

The appropriate treatment depends on the type of ILD. Antifibrotic medicines may be considered in some fibrosing conditions, while immunomodulating or immunosuppressive approaches can be relevant in others. Pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, management of associated conditions, and transplantation assessment can also form part of specialist care in selected situations.

A medicine or programme should not be assumed to be appropriate based on the name of the condition alone. Eligibility and medical suitability are determined by the specialist team.

How should you choose between ILD centres in Kraków?

The most appropriate centre depends on the specific medical question rather than on which hospital appears first on a list.

If the type of ILD is unclear, a tertiary pulmonary department with extensive ILD diagnostics may be useful to discuss with your healthcare team.

If idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has already been identified, you may want to confirm whether the service currently participates in the relevant national programme.

If progressive lung disease has become advanced, access to transplantation expertise can become relevant to discuss.

If systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or another connective-tissue disease is part of the picture, combined pulmonary and rheumatology expertise may be particularly useful.

Practical factors matter too. Consider how frequently appointments may be needed, whether previous CT images can be reviewed, which lung-function tests are available, and how referrals between specialties are handled.

Before making arrangements, contact the centre to confirm its current referral requirements and which records should be provided.

What should you bring to an ILD specialist appointment?

An organized medical history can make it easier to explain what has happened and remember the questions that matter to you.

Depending on your situation, useful records may include:

• Previous chest CT scans, including the original image files where available
• Radiology reports
• Previous chest X-rays
• Spirometry and FVC results
• DLCO results
• Six-minute walk test results
• Hospital discharge summaries
• Current prescriptions
• A list of medicines previously used
• Relevant laboratory results
• Autoimmune or rheumatology investigations
• Previous bronchoscopy reports
• Pathology results if tissue sampling has already been performed
• Information about occupational exposures
• Information about birds, mould, dust, chemicals, or other environmental exposures
• A short timeline of symptoms or changes you want to remember

It can also help to prepare several questions in advance.

For example:

• What type of ILD is being considered?
• What does the pattern on my CT report describe?
• Can my previous CT images be compared?
• What do my FVC and DLCO results mean?
• Are further investigations being considered?
• Is multidisciplinary review relevant in my situation?
• Which changes would be useful for me to record between appointments?
• Could pulmonary rehabilitation be something to discuss?
• When is another assessment expected?

These are examples for preparing a discussion. They do not determine which investigations or care are appropriate.

What can the experience of others with pulmonary fibrosis add?

Experiences shared by others can help identify practical questions that clinical reports and test results may not capture.

Pulmonary fibrosis can create questions far beyond the terminology written on a CT report.

Persistent coughing, fatigue, breathlessness during ordinary activities, uncertainty about exercise, appointments, medicines, travel, and explaining day-to-day changes can all become difficult to make sense of.

One question shared through the mama health app described two persistent concerns together:

“This dry cough just won't go away, and the fatigue is overwhelming.”

That experience cannot explain why a symptom is happening or determine what it means medically.

It can, however, help you recognize a topic that you also want to discuss, find words for something that has been difficult to describe, or discover questions that others living with the same condition have found useful to raise.

Medical evidence and personal experiences serve different purposes. Trusted medical sources provide information about disease, investigations, and care. What others have experienced can add practical context around what daily life can actually feel like.

For more practical information, read mama health's guide to living with pulmonary fibrosis day to day.

You can also explore fatigue and persistent dry cough with pulmonary fibrosis.

How can mama health help before and between specialist appointments?

mama health can help you organize information, understand medical language, and prepare questions without replacing your healthcare team.

mama health is a free app for everything your condition asks of you, grounded in medical science and the experience of others, so you don't have to figure it out alone.

• Ask anything. Shaped by trusted sources, your history, and thousands like you.
  Questions often appear between appointments rather than while you are sitting with a doctor. mama health gives you a place to explore educational information and keep track of what you want to remember.
• Find specialists and care near you, wherever you are.
  You can use mama health when looking for relevant specialist care close to you or when trying to understand what types of services may be available in another location.
• Understand your labs, prescriptions, and reports, read against your history.
  mama health can provide clearer educational explanations of unfamiliar terminology in laboratory results, prescriptions, imaging reports, and other medical documents alongside the history you choose to share.
  
  This does not turn a report into a diagnosis or determine what action you should take. It can help you understand the language and prepare more focused questions for your doctor.
• Track for your own reflection.
  
  You can record symptoms, triggers, medication experiences, appointments, questions, and other changes you want to remember.
  
  Instead of relying on memory alone, those notes can be turned into a structured report you can take to your doctor's appointment.

What others have experienced adds another useful layer. Seeing questions from thousands like you may introduce a topic you had not thought to mention or help you put an experience into words.

mama health does not diagnose pulmonary fibrosis or ILD, decide which Kraków centre you should attend, determine whether a medicine is suitable, interpret a medical record as a diagnosis, or make treatment decisions.

Prepare for your next specialist appointment

Use mama health to keep the questions, medical information, and changes you want to remember in one place. Find relevant care nearby and turn what you record into a structured report to take to your doctor's appointment.

What is the main takeaway when looking for ILD care in Kraków?

Kraków offers several strong options for pulmonary fibrosis and ILD, but their roles differ significantly.

Krakowski Szpital Specjalistyczny im. św. Jana Pawła II has the city's most explicitly dedicated interstitial lung disease and transplantation service.

Szpital Uniwersytecki combines broad ILD expertise with advanced respiratory diagnostics, including CT, bronchoscopy, DLCO, and pulmonary rehabilitation.

5 Wojskowy Szpital Kliniczny provides specialist pulmonology and appears in current pathways for IPF and broader ILD care.

Szpital Specjalistyczny im. J. Dietla can be particularly relevant when lung disease is connected with a systemic autoimmune condition.

Krakowskie Centrum Diagnostyczno Kliniczne provides another outpatient pulmonology option and explicitly covers interstitial lung diseases, although its publicly described scope is more limited than that of Kraków's tertiary hospitals.

The right choice depends on why specialist input is needed. Confirm current referral rules, programme availability, and documentation requirements directly with the service before arranging care.

Disclaimer: This content is informational and not a medical device. mama health offers information and support and does not replace a doctor.