Interventional Bronchoscopy: What is Possible and What Makes Sense?

Abstract

Interventional bronchoscopy plays a significant role in the treatment of various pulmonary diseases. Different endoscopic therapeutic modalities are available for the management of central airway obstruction (CAO) that represent a common indication for interventional bronchoscopy. The latest development in the field of CAO management are biodegradable stents, that would maintain the airway patency over time, then gradually degrade and vanish from the airway. Other indications for interventional bronchoscopy are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, asthma and chronic bronchitis. Thereby, various techniques of endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) that address at hyperinflation reduction extend the therapeutic spectrum of patients with severe emphysema. Targeted lung denervation that aims a persistent bronchodilation present an area of current research in the field of COPD and asthma. In patients with chronic bronchitis, cryospray therapy that is performed within clinical trials may reduce the amount of secretion.