Dr. Belal Bin Asaf
Thoracic (Chest) Surgeon
Director, Institute of Chest Surgery,
Chest Onco-Surgery & Lung Transplantation, Medanta Hospital
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[email protected]
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Dr. Belal Bin Asaf
Thoracic (Chest) Surgeon
Director, Institute of Chest Surgery,
Chest Onco-Surgery & Lung Transplantation, Medanta Hospital
[email protected]
A sudden stabbing pain in the chest followed by difficulty catching your breath is not something to wait out. It could be pneumothorax — a collapsed lung — and prompt evaluation makes a real difference in outcome. Dr. Belal Bin Asaf, Director of the Institute of Chest Surgery, Chest Onco-Surgery & Lung Transplantation at Medanta Hospital, Sector 50, Noida, is recognized as the first surgeon in India to perform a Robotic Subxiphoid Thymectomy — a distinction that reflects the level of minimally invasive expertise he brings to patients whose lung collapse keeps coming back.
With more than 15 years of experience in thoracic surgery, he specializes in Robotic Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS), lung cancer, and the treatment of myasthenia gravis and thymoma, in addition to both emergency-stage management and advanced surgical correction for pneumothorax. That combination of surgical depth and sub-specialization is what patients need most when a collapsed lung turns out to require more than observation or a chest tube alone.
Around each lung is a slim cavity known as the pleural space, sandwiched between the lung's outer surface and the inner chest wall. In a pneumothorax, air escapes into this space — from a rupture in the lung tissue itself or from an external injury — and that trapped air separates the lung from the chest wall, causing it to collapse partially or completely and lose its ability to expand normally.
The typical presentation is a sudden, sharp, one-sided chest pain accompanied by breathlessness that can range from mildly uncomfortable to severe. Given Gurugram's large working population — including many in physically demanding roles across Manesar's industrial belt — traumatic pneumothorax from workplace or road accidents is a real and recurring concern alongside the spontaneous forms. Tension pneumothorax specifically presents with severe respiratory distress, a rapid weak pulse, a sharp drop in blood pressure, and can turn fatal within minutes without treatment — this warrants an immediate emergency room visit, not a scheduled appointment.
A chest X-ray remains the quickest way to confirm pneumothorax and gauge how much of the lung has collapsed. In cases involving recurrence, coexisting lung disease, or where surgical planning is being considered, a CT scan of the chest offers a far more detailed map of the lung's blebs and structural weaknesses, allowing for a more precise treatment strategy.
For a small pneumothorax, careful observation with repeat X-rays may be all that's needed, as the trapped air often reabsorbs on its own over time. A larger collapse requires a chest tube (intercostal drain) to actively draw out the air and let the lung re-expand. When the air leak is persistent or the pneumothorax recurs despite drainage, surgical management becomes necessary. Dr. Belal Bin Asaf performs Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) — a minimally invasive keyhole approach — to remove the ruptured blebs (bullectomy/blebectomy) and carry out pleurodesis, a technique that mechanically or chemically seals the pleural space so the lung stays fully expanded going forward.
With 15+ years of dedicated experience in thoracic surgery and the distinction of being the first surgeon in India to perform a Robotic Subxiphoid Thymectomy, Dr. Belal Bin Asaf offers a level of minimally invasive surgical expertise that's uncommon for a condition many hospitals still manage with more invasive open procedures. At Medanta – The Medicity, patients benefit from VATS-based treatment designed around smaller incisions, reduced post-surgical pain, and a lower likelihood of the pneumothorax returning. It's this track record that makes him a trusted pneumothorax doctor in Gurgaon and a go-to pneumothorax specialist in Gurgaon for patients who want surgical-grade expertise rather than conservative management alone — including those who started out simply looking for the best pulmonologist for pneumothorax in Gurgaon and found that a thoracic surgeon was the more decisive choice.
Medanta – The Medicity's Sector 38 location is easily accessible via NH48 and the Golf Course Road extension, making it a natural choice for patients across Gurugram's residential and commercial sectors, as well as those commuting from Manesar's industrial and residential zones. For many residents, it has become the default pneumothorax hospital in Gurgaon precisely because of that connectivity. South Delhi residents, too, often find this Gurugram facility faster to reach than hospitals deeper inside Delhi, thanks to the direct expressway connectivity.
Don't delay evaluation of sudden chest pain or breathlessness. Whether you need urgent evaluation or advanced surgical care, dependable pneumothorax treatment in Gurgaon is available close to home, without having to travel into Delhi. Book a consultation with Dr. Belal Bin Asaf at Medanta – The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurugram, for an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan — from simple observation to advanced VATS surgery — tailored to your condition.
Prefer to book a consultation online right away? Dr. Belal Bin Asaf also sees patients for this condition in Noida and Delhi. Learn more about his full practice as thoracic surgeon in Gurgaon.
Medically Written & Reviewed By
Director, Institute of Chest Surgery, Chest Onco-Surgery & Lung Transplantation — trained at AIIMS, New Delhi, with a Thoracic Surgery fellowship at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, South Korea; first surgeon in India to perform a Robotic Subxiphoid Thymectomy. View full credentials & experience →
Morning: 10:00AM - 2:00PM
Evening 4:00PM - 6:00PM(Mon to Sat)
