Johns Hopkins Health Alert
People With Emphysema May Benefit From Surgery
Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Lung Disorders | Lung Volume Reduction Surgery-Emphysema
- For people with moderately severe emphysema, lung volume reduction surgery is considered the only surgical alternative to lung transplantation.
More than two million Americans have emphysema, and some of them—those who have emphysema that predominantly affects the upper lobes and low exercise capacity—may benefit from surgery called lung volume reduction surgery to remove diseased lung tissue. The procedure is believed to create more space in the chest cavity for the working lung tissue to expand.
For people with moderately severe emphysema, the procedure is considered the only surgical alternative to lung transplantation. However, volume reduction surgery is risky because lung function is already compromised and patients with emphysema are generally older and likely to be in poor health.
The first large study examining the risks and benefits of lung volume reduction surgery to treat emphysema showed patterns when researchers categorized patients based on the type and symptoms of their emphysema. Patients with predominantly upper-lobe emphysema and low exercise capacity before the surgery had the greatest benefit: Their mortality rate was cut in half compared with the medical therapy group, and their exercise capacity improved. Patients who had emphysema throughout their lungs but were still able to exercise benefited the least from surgery: They had twice the mortality rate of the medical therapy group and had little or no improvement in exercise capacity.
Although identifying these patient subgroups after the conclusion of the study is not statistically ideal, the findings are still considered valuable. Now doctors have a better way to know which of their patients with severe emphysema are most likely to benefit from lung volume reduction surgery.
In response to the study, Medicare now covers the procedure for appropriate candidates with emphysema.
Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Lung Disorders | Lung Volume Reduction Surgery-Emphysema
Posted in Lung Disorders on June 6, 2006
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I have had COPD/ emphysema for about 5 years now. I don't use supplementary oxygen. Is it possible I could go through my life never needing this? I am 62 now. And I quit smoking once I learned I had COPD. Thank-you.
Posted by: capwhan | June 14, 2009 4:56 PM
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I have emphysema/ copd and in 2000 I had to have a mitral valve replaced , I elected to use a heart surgeon who also did lung reduction surgeries with the hope he would do lung reduction at the same time provided all went well. The mitral valve replacement went well but when he started the lung reduction on the upper right lung he said the lungs were "stuck" to the rib cage and he was going to do to much damage. He did manage to remove a small portion and after I had beeen home for about a month and a half I was putting vynal siding on my garage . however since then i have gotten worse , I don't know if it is my heart or lungs , the VA says my valve is ok and it is my lungs .what would cause the lungs to stick and is there a possiblility a reduction could be done now?
Posted by: gaylord | December 18, 2008 10:07 PM