Bronchoscope is usually took biopsy samples and

PRESS RELEASE: November 21, 2005

Contact: Bill Seiler Ellen Beth Levitt investigational therapy may improve breathing in patients with emphysema Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center are testing a new approach

treatment for advanced emphysema , lung disease often caused by cigarette smoke >>. They implanted << miniature one-way valve into the lungs of patients with emphysema >> << within the 20-center, randomized trial to make sure valves

improve lung function and exercise tolerance.

Therapy is called endobronhialnoy >> << valve procedures, minimally invasive and does not require surgery. Martin Cantler of Owings, in Calvert County, Maryland, the first patient receiving therapy

under investigation in Baltimore. She says it makes good

almost six months after the procedure. I breathe better than I

for several years, she says. Her symptoms worsened emphysema last year. I could not climb stairs, and could not do things without running

breath. Now, Im much more active, says Mrs. Cantler. The study called Endobronhialnoe valve for Palliative Care Emphysema court

or VENT. Finally, 270 participants throughout the United States and Europe will receive

investigational treatment. VENT study is to assess the patient's quality of life >> << and effectiveness of the procedure cost. We believe that this procedure may be important in helping patients breathe easier

if it reduces a patient of lung

said Mark J. Krasna, MD, Professor of Surgery University of Maryland School of Medicine

and head of thoracic surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. We

suggest that patients with fewer side effects and complications compared

easy operation to reduce the volume, says Dr. Krasna, who is the principal investigator >> << VENT research University of Maryland. In patients with emphysema, breathe air is caught in a trap in the affected part >> << lungs, making it difficult to exhale. Trapped air fills the lungs, as

balloon, squeezing the healthy lung tissue. Unilateral valves used in

This experimental procedure release trapped air and prevent its return. Valves

cause of the patients lungs swell, called the effect of lung

reduction, which leaves room for healthy tissue to function normally. Valves

designed for the removable, providing potential upside. During the procedure endobronhialnoy, valves implanted in the lungs of

bronchoscope, thin tube equipped with a camera that lets doctors look inside

lungs. Bronchoscope is usually took biopsy samples and

selections. Valves size of pencil erasers and with tiny metal tongs

or teeth that are attached to the light. In surgical colleague endobronhialnoy valve procedure, known as light

surgery to reduce the volume surgeons removed part of the lungs of patients to ensure

place for light expand and contract. University of Maryland Medical Center

participated in a national study called the National Emphysema Treatment Lung

Trial, which recently concluded that the decrease in lung surgery can use

some patients. University of Maryland Medical Center is one of the selected >> << group centers in the United States approved by Medicare to meet the complex >> << procedure. So far, 18 patients underwent surgery at University Medical Center >> << Maryland. More than 40,000 patients suffering from emphysema in Maryland, according to, pulmonologist involved in the study VENT lasix drug reactions, who is Professor of Medicine >> << at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. At the national emphysema affects

more than three million Americans. It costs over $ 2. 5 billion annual >> << healthcare costs and causes or contributes to 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Emphysema leads to progressive, irreversible breakdown of lung tissue, in which the alveoli >> << lungs or air sacs are damaged. This disorder reduces

elasticity of the lungs, reducing their ability to inflate and pump usually

affects transport of oxygen in the blood, and leaves the patient permanently

feeling out of breath. For more information about the complex treatment of emphysema booking

University of Maryland Medical Center, call 800-492-5538. For patients questions, call 1-800-492-5538

or click to schedule an appointment. This page was updated on: April 10, 2009. .