Bronchial Valve Therapy

If you suffer from emphysema, you’ve probably explored many treatment options with your physician, including medicine, various therapies — perhaps even surgery. If you have taken these avenues and are continuing to experience severe symptoms of emphysema, you may benefit from endobronchial valve therapy. At The Lung Docs, we provide a type of endobronchial valve therapy known as the Spiration® Valve System from Olympus. We’re committed to continuously bringing you the latest treatments for a variety of lung diseases, including emphysema. That’s why we’re proud to introduce you to this latest way to help manage your emphysema!

Emphysema occurs when the walls between the lung’s air sacs (these are known as alveoli) are damaged. Over time, the inner walls of the air sacs become weak and rupture. This creates large air spaces versus several small ones. These large air spaces reduce the lung’s surface areas and therefore have a negative effect on the amount of oxygen that can reach the bloodstream.

The Spiration® Valve is a small, umbrella-shaped valve that is placed inside the lung’s airways. It redirects air from the damaged areas that are most affected by emphysema to healthier areas of the lung, easing the symptoms of emphysema.

As a progressive lung disease with no cure, the primary goal in treating emphysema is to reduce symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. Spiration® Valves work by reducing the amount of diseased areas in the lung and redirecting air to healthier areas of the lung. This can help improve lung function and increase the quality of life of those managing their emphysema.

Some of the reported benefits of the Spiration® Valve System in patients with emphysema include:

• Decreased shortness of breath

• Improved breathing

• Reduced air trapped in the lung

• Increased ability to perform daily tasks

• Overall improved quality of life

The placement is a minimally invasive procedure that typically takes between 1 to 2 hours. On the day of your Spiration® Valve System procedure, your doctor will give you one of two types of medication: medicine to make you sleepy (sedation), or medicine that makes you unconscious (anesthesia). Your doctor will use a bronchoscope — a thin tube with a camera that’s inserted through your mouth/nose — to place the Spiration® Valves into your airways. Once the Spiration® Valve is in your lung, you will not be able to feel it. After your procedure, your doctor may require you to stay overnight for observation.

Not everyone is a good candidate for the Spiration® Valve System. Your doctor will determine whether or not you’re a good fit for the Spiration® Valve System through a series of tests and a physical examination. Potential complications may occur in some people including pneumothorax (a collapsed lung), worsening COPD symptoms, pneumonia, dyspnea (shortness of breath), hemoptysis (coughing up blood), and in rare cases, death