Endobronchial valve placement

Endobronchial valve (EBV) placement is a treatment for severe emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that causes damage to your lung’s air sacs. This condition traps air in your lungs and overinflates them, making it hard to catch your breath. Your doctor can release the trapped air and help you breathe more comfortably by placing one-way valves in your lungs, often in one lung only. Endobronchial valve placement is a bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) procedure that is a minimally invasive alternative to lung volume reduction surgery, which involves making incisions in the chest and cutting away damaged areas of the lungs.

Specialists at Penn Medicine have the expertise to assess your lung disease and determine if EBV placement is an option for you. Our team is experienced at performing these procedures to reduce your lung’s size and improve overall lung function. The right treatment can help restore air flow in and out of your lungs and help you live a more active life.

EBV placement is used to treat severe cases of emphysema and may not be appropriate for everyone with emphysema. It’s also sometimes used to treat persistent air leaks from a collapsed lung or chronic lung disease.

Endobronchial valve placement might be right for you if:

• You have severe symptoms of emphysema, including shortness of breath and fatigue.
• Your lungs are overinflated due to trapped air.
• Although you’ve tried medications and pulmonary rehabilitation, they haven’t improved your symptoms.
• You haven’t smoked for at least three months.

Your doctor will order several tests to be sure placing lung valves is the best course of treatment for you. You may need blood tests, pulmonary function tests, a high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scan, and an echocardiogram. If endobronchial valves are recommended, you’ll be given instructions on how to prepare for your surgery, including stopping certain medications and fasting before your procedure.

EBV placement includes these steps:

• You’ll be given general anesthesia, which will put you to sleep.
• Your doctor will insert a thin tube with a lighted camera called a bronchoscope down your throat and into your lung.
• Endobronchial valves are placed in the damaged area of your lung.
• The bronchoscope is removed.

You’ll stay in the hospital for at least a few days after your surgery. After you go home, you’ll recover your strength and energy gradually, usually over two or three weeks. Follow the recommendations you receive from your health care team about when to return to your usual activities.

This procedure can cause bleeding or an infection, like pneumonia. Ten to 20 percent of people may experience a collapsed lung in the first few days after surgery. Your health care team will be monitoring you in the hospital and can treat you quickly if you have any signs of this complication. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about the possible side effects of using lung valves for COPD, emphysema, collapsed lung, or other chronic lung disease treatment.

Care for a serious lung condition starts with a thorough evaluation. Physicians from pulmonology, thoracic surgery, and other specialties consider your condition and medical history before recommending surgery. They can determine whether EBV placement or another procedure, like lung volume reduction surgery, is the right treatment strategy for you.

Penn Medicine is one of the nation’s oldest and most advanced providers of interventional pulmonology, performing bronchoscopies and other minimally invasive procedures to treat lung conditions like emphysema and collapsed lungs. We’ve done EBV placement procedures for years and use the latest approaches based on direct experience in clinical trials. Our experts provide you with a high level of care before, during, and after your procedure, including pulmonary rehabilitation to help you get the most from your recovery.