A Breath of Fresh Air
Writing an opening paragraph can be difficult. I like to
take a deep breath before I start. It helps to clear things up, and I can think
of a good way to introduce a subject without forcing it. I can’t imagine what
it would be like if I couldn’t take that deep breathe to clear my head.
For Emphysema patients, it’s a lot like that -- see how easy
that was? -- only all of the time. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham,
55 year-old patient, Perry Waldrop, was recently treated with a late-stage
clinical trial procedure using “a foam sealant sprayed into the lungs,” rather than
lung volume reduction surgery. According to a Newswise article,
the experimental technique involves a “proprietary polymer” that turns into
foam in the lungs and, inside of a half-hour, “hardens to a rubbery
consistency, blocking off the holes in air sacs and sealing the damaged regions
of the lung.” The polymer was compared to a two-part epoxy and is administered
with an injection into the lungs.
“The idea behind all lung volume reduction procedures is to
reduce the volume in the lung and allow the diaphragm to return to its normal
shape and function,” said Mark Dransfield. MD, associate professor in the
division of pulmonary, allergy and critical care medicine and lead
investigator, in the Newswise story. “We’re looking for a less-invasive way to
achieve that goal without the risks inherent in surgery.”
Traditional lung volume reduction surgery involves cutting
away the “over-inflated, diseased parts of the lung,” which allows it to return
to normal size and subsequently restore normal function in the diaphragm. According
to Dransfield, the surgery carries with in a “50-60 percent risk of pulmonary
or cardiac complications and a small risk of perioperative death.” The new
procedure will hopefully reduce the potential risks associated with surgery
while producing the same results.
“We don’t yet know the balance of risks and benefits for
this procedure as well as we do for the surgery,” continued Dransfield. “Certainly
the hope is the risk will be far lower, and the preliminary data from Europe
indicates that that is true. The risk of major cardio- or pulmonary
complications is quite low. I think having a safer option that is as effective
or almost as effective as surgery will greatly improve our ability to take care
of these folks.”
The article went on to note that, so far, the only problem has
been a flu-like immune-inflammatory disease that resolves in 2-3 days. The
prospect of a less-invasive procedure readily available for emphysema patient,
especially those who might not be strong enough to handle a surgery with so
many possible problems, is exciting not only to struggling patients, but also
US physicians looking for alternative options.