The Medical Center at Bowling Green Begins Procedures Using the Spiration™ Valve System for the Treatment of Severe Emphysema
The Medical Center at Bowling Green is now using the Spiration Valve System (SVS), a minimally invasive innovation that provides physicians with an important therapeutic option for the treatment of adult patients who are suffering from the symptoms of severe emphysema.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 16 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a group of lung diseases that includes emphysema.For patients with severe emphysema, bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) with endobronchial valves, such as SVS, may improve lung function by redirecting airflow away from hyperinflated regions of the lung to healthier areas.
“Kentucky has one of the highest rates of smoking in the country, which contributes to high rates of COPD and emphysema,” said Dr. Rodney Steff, Pulmonologist at Med Center Health. “Patients with emphysema often struggle to breathe because damaged areas of the lung trap air, leaving patients with very little space in the lungs to inhale and exhale. SVS is a system in which small one-way valves are placed in the airways to prevent air from entering the affected areas of the lung. This allows trapped air to escape, so patients can breathe more easily.”
The Spiration Valve System includes an umbrella-shaped device that is placed in targeted airways of the lung during a short bronchoscopic procedure. Once in place, the device redirects air from diseased lung regions to healthier ones, allowing the healthier lung tissue to expand and function more effectively. With a potential reduction in lung volume, a patient may be able to breathe more easily and experience improved quality of life.
Clinical studies evaluating SVS demonstrated significant improvements in lung function, respiratory symptoms, and quality-of-life scores 24 months after treatment.