Less invasive treatment for emphysema is as good as more invasive surgery

Medical Xpress / European Lung Foundation / Abstract no: RCT4448 ^ | Sept. 6, 2022 | Sara Buttery et al

[ConservativeMind]

The first randomized controlled trial to compare two lung volume reduction procedures for people with emphysema has found that both lead to similar improvements in lung function, breathlessness and exercise capacity.

The results from the study of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BVLR) should help doctors and patients to choose the best approach to treat emphysema.

Emphysema is a chronic lung disease. In people where the lung damage is unevenly distributed, treatment to target the worst area of emphysema, by reducing the volume of the lung by about 20–30%, can improve airflow and exchange of gases in the alveoli in the remaining portions of the lungs.

LVRS involves a keyhole operation into the chest in order to access the lungs and remove the areas of the lungs most affected by emphysema. With BVLR, the procedure is carried out using a fiber optic camera which is inserted into the lungs via the mouth or nose.

Ms. Sara Buttery, a research physiotherapist, "Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction is a less invasive option and is thought to be 'less risky' but there has not been substantial research to support this."

In the CELEB trial [2], Ms. Buttery and colleagues randomized 88 patients to receive either LVRS (41 patients) or BLVR (47 patients). They measured patients' response to treatment using the iBODE score.

"Both groups improved to a similar extent one year after treatment. Surgery and valve treatment produced similar reductions in gas trapping and similar improvements both in the total iBODE score, and in each of the individual measures that it is made up of," said Ms. Buttery. "Both treatments also appeared to be equally safe, with only one death in each arm of the trial after a year, despite this being a population with severe lung disease.

[ConservativeMind]

I’d choose the less invasive approach, myself.

[ConservativeMind]

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[Bonemaker]

If an option, I’d always choose the least invasive treatment for whatever the issue is.

[Thank You Rush]

I have what is diagnosed as COPD - which is a catchall but is really emphysema as far as I’m concerned. I would take a pass on this!!!!