Mayo Clinic in Florida is first to perform new endoscopic lung procedure
Mayo Clinic in Florida is the first medical center in the state to perform endoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves. This procedure, which recently was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), treats patients experiencing disorders associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including advanced emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Only a few medical centers nationwide offer this treatment.
The treatment involves shrinking the most damaged lobe of the lung to allow more space for the healthier part of the lung to function, leading to improved breathing, quality of life and exercise ability. It is minimally invasive, compared to surgical lung volume reduction procedures which means patients experience fewer side effects, less pain, shorter hospital stays and lower mortality rates.
“Patients with advanced emphysema have holes in their lungs that interfere with the availability and flow of oxygen into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide out of their body,” says Sebastian Fernandez-Bussy, M.D., a Mayo Clinic interventional pulmonologist, in a press statement. “This is one of the reasons why they have difficulty breathing. Another reason is that advanced emphysema causes lungs to increase in size, which interferes with the patient's ability to take deep breaths because their lungs are too large for their chest cavity. This is why lung volume reduction is necessary.”
Using a small scope through the mouth to the lungs, physicians place tiny one-way endobronchial valves in the damaged, hyperinflated lobes of the patient's lungs. The valves allow trapped air to escape the affected lobe, while also preventing air from re-entering. Over time, the most damaged part of the lung will deflate, allowing the healthier, rest of the lung more space to expand and function.
The treatment is not cure, said Fernandez-Bussy. But it does improve quality of life, giving patients ability to breathe easier. “They will be able to take bigger breaths and subsequently need less oxygen if they are currently on oxygen, or possibly come off oxygen altogether,” he said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 16 million Americans living with COPD, which is the fourth main cause of disability in the U.S. The death rate from COPD complications has doubled since 1970.
