COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; it describes a group of lung conditions that make it difficult to empty air out of the lungs because the airways have become narrowed. This develops because of long-term damage to your lungs from breathing in a harmful substance, usually cigarette smoke, as well as smoke from other sources and air pollution. If the damage to the bronchi is so well-advanced that it cannot be reversed, lung specialists talk of a permanent narrowing of the respiratory tract, i.e. COPD.
Emphysema is a severe form of COPD. People who suffer from emphysema live with severe shortness of breath that often prevents them from doing simple daily activities without pausing to catch their breath or resting. Emphysema cannot be cured; however, treatment may help reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and slow progression of the disease.
The Zephyr Valve – being a minimal invasive treatment option – is a device used to treat severe emphysema. It is not a prescription drug or surgery, which requires cutting of the skin. Instead, the Zephyr Valve is a brief interventional procedure done through the mouth, which has been clinically proven to help patients breathe more easily, be more active, and enjoy a better quality of life.1
A patient story – “From depression back to family joy”
Keith Young was diagnosed with emphysema over 30 years ago and gave up smoking shortly after. Keith knew that physically his body was getting older so it couldn’t tolerate what it used to and getting starved of the adequate supply of oxygen didn’t help a lot, so the prognosis for his future doing nothing was looking bleak.
Day-to-day living was depressing simply because he was not able to do what he used to do when he was younger. He wanted to be able to walk around in his garden at home with his wife without having to go in a ‘caddy cart’ or something like that.
After carrying out a series of tests, Keith was identified as a suitable candidate for Zephyr Valve treatment. It is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a bronchoscope to place tiny valves in the airways allowing trapped air to escape until hyperinflation is reduced. This leaves room for the healthier parts of your lungs to expand and take in more air.
With the help of a bronchoscope, the specialist placed four Zephyr Valves in Keith’s airways leading to the diseased lung regions. The procedure lasted around 30 minutes and was carried out under general anaesthesia.
Four weeks after the treatment Keith reported that the valves are effectively doing their job. He even went back up the stairs to the top of his house – a goal he put on a ‘bucket list’ the first day after treatment.
Moreover, his family noticed that there is less shortness of breath when he talks, less stopping between words and sentences. And less issues with eating – since before the Zephyr Valve placement, the more he ate, the less he breathed because if he filled his stomach up he was putting so much pressure on his lungs that his lungs couldn’t bring in the air because of the pressure from his stomach. As a result, he lost a lot of weight.
After treatment, he was able to go back and enjoy his family, again.
Watch Keith’s full story:
See if the Zephyr Valve treatment is right for you. Talk to your doctor and visit www.GetCOPDhelp.co.uk to learn more about Zephyr Valves.
1 Criner G et al. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2018; 198(9): 1151-1164
Complications of the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve treatment can include but are not limited to pneumothorax, worsening of COPD symptoms, hemoptysis, pneumonia, dyspnea and, in rare cases, death.
The Zephyr® Endobronchial Valve is an implantable bronchial valve intended to control airflow in order to improve lung functions in patients with hyperinflation associated with severe emphysema and/or to reduce air leaks. The Zephyr Valve is contraindicated for: Patients for whom bronchoscopic procedures are contraindicated; Evidence of active pulmonary infection; Patients with known allergies to Nitinol (nickel-titanium) or its constituent metals (nickel or titanium); Patients with known allergies to silicone; Patients who have not quit smoking. Use is restricted to a trained physician. Prior to use, please reference the Zephyr Endobronchial System Instructions for more information on indications, contraindications, warnings, all precautions, and adverse events.
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