Lung Volume Reduction Procedures Compared in Emphysema

FRIDAY, Sept. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with emphysema, lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) lead to similar improvements in lung function, dyspnea, and exercise capacity, according to a study presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2022, held from Sept. 4 to 6 in Barcelona, Spain.

Sara Buttery, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, and colleagues randomly assigned 88 patients with emphysema to receive LVRS or BLVR (41 and 47 patients, respectively). Outcomes were assessed at one year with the iBODE score, which was a composite disease severity measure, including body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity.

The researchers found that both groups improved to a similar extent at 12-month follow-up, with no difference observed between the treatment groups in the i-BODE composite score (LVRS, −1.10; BLVR, −0.82) or any of its individual components. Similar reductions in gas trapping were produced by both treatments (−36.1 and −30.5, respectively). No difference was seen between the treatment groups in terms of survival, with one death in each arm.

"The results of this study will be important for clinicians and patients in guiding decision-making around which treatment option to choose when a person is suitable for either approach, providing more evidence around expected outcomes and risks," Buttery said in a statement.

Abstract No. RCT4448

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