Hope for severe asthma sufferers

Millions of Americans suffer from asthma, a lung problem characterized by swelling and narrowing in the airways, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. Asthma can be triggered by a variety of causes, including dust, pet hair, mold, pollen, stress, allergies, colds and chemicals in the air. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles in the airways tighten and these passageways swell, making it difficult to breathe. These attacks can sometimes be severe, causing the person to panic and even progress into extreme respiratory distress.

A new procedure can help
Deborah Heart and Lung Center is a front-runner in the newest asthma treatment available—bronchial thermoplasty. Not all patients are candidates for this new FDA-approved treatment. For those who do qualify, three separate procedures using radiofrequency energy applied to the thickened airway muscle wall can decrease the thickening effect of that muscle, maintaining a larger opening for easier breathing. This treatment has been shown to significantly reduce the frequency of severe asthma attacks and emergency room visits as well as to improve quality of life in patients whose severe asthma hasn’t been well controlled with high-dose inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators.

"We're excited to be one of the first hospitals in the area to offer this new procedure," says Debora's Pulmonary Medicine Chair, Andrew Martin, M.D. "As we roll out the use of bronchial thermoplasty, I’m sure we’ll see terrific results in severe asthma sufferers, who’ll see the quality of their day-today lives dramatically improve." Patients suffering with severe asthma can be referred to Deborah by their primary care physicians or pulmonologists to determine whether they’re candidates for this new procedure.

Asthma no more!
To learn more about Deborah’s pulmonary services, visit www.deborah.org/medical/pulmonary/pulmonary.html.