Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) can help you breathe easier if you’re living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While COPD is a progressive condition that cannot be cured, we can perform LVRS to ease symptoms, improve respiratory health and slow COPD's impact on your overall well-being.
Breathe better, feel better
Living with a chronic lung condition like COPD that affects your ability to breathe can be overwhelming. And while we can't reverse COPD, there are steps we can take to alleviate your condition so you can breathe better.
One of the most impactful ways to improve your COPD and offer long-term relief is with lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). We gather our brightest minds from surgery, pulmonology and anesthesiology to offer you care that feels like a breath of fresh air.
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Conditions
If you have trouble breathing due to a chronic lung disease that hasn’t responded to other treatments, then LVRS may be the right treatment option for you.
COPD covers a group of chronic lung diseases that obstruct airflow from the lungs. The 2 most common conditions that makeup COPD are:
- Emphysema: A type of COPD involving damage to the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs.
- Bronchitis: This can be a chronic condition where the airways that carry air to the lungs (also known as the bronchial tubes) are inflamed.
Testing
LVRS is a proven way to treat COPD. It's important to note that there's more involved with recovery and healing following the surgery. That's why we'll first test the extent of your COPD to determine if surgery is the right treatment approach for you.
As part of this testing, we'll check your heart and lung function in addition to locating the diseased tissues that are taking a toll on your health. Then, we’ll work with you to develop a customized treatment plan based on your condition and unique needs. Before your operation, you’ll meet with your care team to go over the procedure and answer any questions you may have.
Treatments
To treat COPD, we’ll perform a thoracoscopy, also known as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). This approach allows us to make small incisions in your chest, instead of one large, open incision. Then, we’ll insert a digital video camera to guide our tools throughout the procedure.
Following surgery, you’ll stay at our hospital for 4–7 days to kickstart your recovery. During this time, you‘ll be seen by physical therapists, occupational therapists and respiratory therapists, who will work closely with your surgeon and pulmonologist to cover your lung health from all angles.
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Meet the doctors and care team devoted to supporting you every step of the way along your path to better health.