Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) typically have emphysema, which involves destruction of alveoli and reduction of elasticity leading to airflow obstruction, air trapping, and hyperinflation. Over time, these changes cause low respiratory reserve volume and increased residual volume, which cause dyspnea.
One of the newest treatment options for patients who have advanced COPD with severe emphysema is a minimally invasive procedure called bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR). Most recently, the FDA approved the use of endobronchial valves for this procedure, which are implanted in the airways of the lungs to reduce air trapping and hyperinflation.
In certain patients, BLVR has been shown to improve lung function, facilitate easier breathing, enhance exercise tolerance, and lead to better quality of life.
In this ReCAP, Dr. Javier Diaz-Mendoza, program director of the Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, discusses the benefits of BLVR in patients who have advanced COPD with emphysema. He discusses the procedure, patient outcomes, and which patients should be considered for BLVR.
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Associate Professor of Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Wayne State University; Program Director, Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI
Javier Diaz-Mendoza, MD, FCCP, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships: Serve(d) as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: Ion Intuitive Serve(d) as a speaker or a member of a speakers bureau for: Association of Interventional Pulmonology Program Directors