Bay Pines VA’s Chief of Pulmonary Dr. Stephen Clum was part of a multi-disciplinary team that performed the first bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) surgery at the Bill Young VA.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, commonly referred to as COPD, is a progressive and often painful disease that damages the airways and lungs. It is the fifth most prevalent disease in the Veteran population, but thanks to recent advances in technology, Veterans now have an open pathway toward life-long relief.

That route is being opened via BLVR, which is the one of the newest advancements in the patient care experience being offered at Bay Pines VA.

“Patients who have severe COPD with a significant emphysema component typically experience hyper-inflation of the lungs as the disease gets worse,” Clum said. “In other words, at a resting position their lungs are at a bigger volume than what they should normally be.”

Emphysema is a late stage of COPD that causes extreme shortness of breath. In the past the treatment for this illness has been to surgically remove the diseased portions of the lung, but operating on patients with a severe disease presents challenges of its own. To mitigate the risks involved with major surgery, a non-surgical lung volume reduction was developed. 

Placing one-way endobronchial valves into targets of the lung

“We’re now able to address that hyper-inflation by placing one-way endobronchial valves into identified targets of the lung that have significant emphysema. These valves allow secretions and air to drain out of that area but don’t let the lung re-inflate. All of a sudden that area that’s hyper-inflated has now been collapsed without surgery,” Clum continued.

Once the valves are inserted, they act as a continuous draining mechanism for the inflamed portion of the lung, essentially allowing the lung to function like a balloon that slowly deflates.

“Following the procedure, everything improves in terms of how the patient breathes and what they experience when they start to exert themselves in their daily lives. These valves have been shown to markedly improve a person’s ability to engage in the simple things in life. As a provider, you want to see patients get better and these valves to me are a game changer. They are the most cutting-edge technology for the management of COPD,” Clum said.

Team ensures a positive outcome

During this procedure a multi-disciplinary team including surgeons, anesthesiologists, respiratory therapists and a bronchoscopy nurse, who work together to ensure a positive outcome. 

“We have a significant number of patients who live with this disease and would be candidates for this procedure, and we can now offer it to them. It’s a procedure that offers not just improved numbers in terms of a breathing study but, more importantly, an improved quality of life,” Clum added.