IBV Valve May Help Emphysema Patients Breathe Easier

Doctors around the country are testing a new investigational device that may help those with emphysema lead a more normal life. The device, called the IBV Valve System, may help patients breathe easier without drugs or surgery.

Resembling tiny umbrellas, valves are placed in the lungs during a bronchoscopy while the patient is sedated. Once in place, the valves are meant to redirect the airflow in the lungs away from the diseased parts and towards the healthier areas, leading to an overall improvement in breathing.

"When it's put inside the airways, [the valve] expands open and sort of seals the airway to prevent more air from going into the bad region of the lung. But when people are breathing out, it closes down a little bit so that air can come out and so that secretions in the lung can also come out," said the University of Chicago's Dr. Kyle Hogarth.

Traditionally, the treatment options for severe emphysema have included lung transplants or massive surgery to remove the diseased parts of the lung. However, this procedure may delay the need for surgery in emphysema patients.

"It's clearly a lot easier to put a device in the airway than it is to have your chest cut open. If this works, this is going to revolutionize how we take care of advanced emphysema," said Hogarth.

In a European trial, experts found the valves were safe to use and improved quality of life. The bronchial valves are currently in the final phase of testing in the United States.

People enrolled in the trial who get a sham valve are eligible to have the real thing implanted after six months. The treatment is best for those who have emphysema in the upper parts of their lungs, not the lower parts.