Results from bronchoscopic thermal vapor for lung volume reduction

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has a prevalence of 11,8% in Spain, and presents high morbidity and mortality. Some of these severe COPD patients are good candidates for bronchoscopic thermal vapor ablation (BTVA) for lung volume reduction to improve respiratory mechanics. Our objective is to assess the characteristics and early results of the patients treated in our hospital by BTVA. We studied 44 patients and 18 of them were selected for BTVA. Lung function tests were analyzed (including lung volumes by plethysmography), dyspnea scales and chest radiology. Besides we evaluated emphysema destruction, fissure completeness and lobar volumes by StratX program. Mean age from our sample was 63,5. 72,7% of them were men, with a mean BMI of 25. 81,4% of them had heterogeneous emphysema, and the mean severity of it was 48,93%. Fissure integrity was < 80% in 45,2% of patients. The results of the statistic analysis using SPSS of BTVA showed a statistically significant change in the residual volume in liters (p=0,008), and total lung capacity (p=0,003), and a tendency of change but wasn’t significant in diffusion capacity (p=0,84). FEV1 and FVC didn’t change after the treatment (results in figure 1). Dyspnea scales had a tendency to improve (p=0,83). Endoscopic lung volume reduction in patients with emphysema improves lung function and dyspnea, and can be useful in patients with emphysema, collateral ventilation and heterogeneous upper lobe emphysema.