Surgical treatment of emphysema using bovine pericardium strips

Chronic pulmonary emphysema (CPE) damages lung tissue, causing it to lose elasticity and no longer exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide efficiently. In the past, lung transplantation was the only surgical treatment for CPE. Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) using bovine pericardium strips is a surgical approach that removes emphysematous lung tissue, allows healthy lung tissue to reexpand, and improves the functioning of the intercostal muscles and diaphragm. Surgical stapling devices buttressed with strips of bovine pericardium are used in LVRS procedures to reduce air leaks along staple lines. Patients with CPE who have undergone LVRS procedures using bovine pericardium strips have experienced a dramatic increase in their ability to exchange air, allowing them to have more normal lifestyles.