UH Now Offering a Revolutionary Treatment Option for Patients with Severe COPD/Emphysema
November 10, 2021
CLEVELAND – University Hospitals (UH) has created the most robust program in the Cleveland area offering a new lung valve treatment for patients with severe COPD/emphysema. Recently approved by the FDA under their “Breakthrough Devices” status, the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve treatment represents a major advancement because it is the first minimally invasive procedure to help emphysema sufferers breathe easier without major surgery. Done through a simple bronchoscopy, the valves improve patients’ quality of life by allowing them to breathe better and lead more active and energetic lives.
November is National COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) Awareness Month. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Emphysema is a progressive and life-threatening lung disease, and a severe form of COPD. There is no cure. Patients live with severe shortness of breath that keeps them from doing simple daily activities like walking, or taking a shower, without pausing to catch their breath or even sitting down for a rest. This extreme shortness of breath is caused when air becomes trapped in parts of the lung that are damaged by the disease. This trapped air causes the damaged areas of the lungs to get larger which puts pressure on the healthy parts of the lungs and diaphragm.
“We are very excited to have this new treatment option because emphysema patients are often in poor physical condition, struggling with each breath despite medication therapy,” said Benjamin Young, MD, Medical Director of Bronchoscopy at UH Cleveland Medical Center. “We’ve provided this solution to more than a dozen patients and we’re hearing from many that they experience immediate relief after the procedure, and they feel like themselves again.”
This one-time procedure is done during a simple bronchoscopy that requires no cutting or incisions. During the procedure, four (on average) tiny valves are placed in the airways to block off the diseased parts of the lungs where air gets trapped. Keeping air from getting trapped in the diseased parts of the lung allows the healthier parts of the lungs to expand and take in more air. This results in patients being able to breathe easier and have less shortness of breath. Before the Zephyr Valves, the only options for relief were medications that didn’t always work and highly invasive treatments including lung surgeries.
“Everyone deserves to live a full and happy life and patients with emphysema and COPD face challenges that keep them from doing that,” said Dr. Young. “Our goal is to expand our program and bring this treatment to as many patients as possible to continue improving lives in Northeast Ohio.”
Tags: Pulmonology, Respiratory disease