Intrabronchial stents in heterogenous emphysema: a highly selected material followed 5 years

Endobronchial lung volume reduction (EBVR) with one-way valves introduced into the most diseased lobe of the lung is a non-invasive method to improve lung function in patients with severe heterogenous emphysema. The problem is to select the right patients for the procedure. Furthermore, the long-term effects have not been reported in most studies.

EBVR was performed in 35 patients with severely handicapping emphysema and with one radiologically clearly enlarged (at least 125%) target lung lobe and clearly visible and complete interlobar fissures on CT. Most of the successful survivors have then been followed for five years.

Five (14%) were primary failures (defined as less than 15% increase of FEV_1sec) and 10 (28%) were secondary failures (the valves were coughed up or removed for some reason). In the 21 successful l patients, the improvement of FEV_1sec was in the mean 59%. Over the years, FEV_1sec gradually decreased but was still higher 5 years later than initially. Of the successful group, 76% were still alive after 5 years, while only 50% were in the refused or failed groups.

With careful selection of patients remarkably good results in lung function can be achieved, and these improvements will last for years though slowly decrease. In addition, the results indicate an improvement in survival with successful EBVR procedure.