Florida Hospital DeLand has begun offering a new outpatient procedure to treat bronchial thermoplasty, which is a severe and persistent type of asthma.
In clinical studies, bronchial thermoplasty has been shown to improve asthma-related quality of life and provide long-lasting asthma control, including reduced asthma attacks, decreased visits to the emergency room and hospital for respiratory symptoms, and less time lost from work, school and other daily activities due to asthma.
The bronchial thermoplasty procedure uses mild heat to reduce the amount of excess smooth muscle tissue in the airways, Florida Hospital DeLand pulmonologist, Dr. Christopher DiBello, explained.
“By reducing the muscle tissue in the airways through the Bronchial Thermoplasty procedure, asthmatics will experience less airway constriction during an asthma attack,” said DiBello. “The majority of patients treated with this procedure breathe more easily and are less likely to have an asthma attack.”
Bronchial Thermoplasty does not replace asthma medication but works with these medications to give added, long-lasting protection from serious asthma symptoms.
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the most-cited journal in the field of allergy and clinical immunology, released data that confirms that the effectiveness and safety of bronchial thermoplasty is maintained out to five years including:
- Reduction in percentage of patients experiencing severe asthma attacks seen at one year maintained out to five years.
- Additionally, 44% decrease (average over five years) in the percentage of bronchial thermoplasty treated patients having severe asthma attacks, compared with 12 months prior to bronchial thermoplasty treatment.
- Reduction in ER visits seen at one year maintained out to five years.
- Additionally, 78% (average over five years) in the percentage of bronchial thermoplasty treated patients experiencing ER visits for respiratory symptoms, compared with 12 months prior to Bronchial thermoplasty treatment.
- No increase in hospitalizations, asthma symptoms, or respiratory adverse events over the course of five years.
The procedure has been approved by the FDA for patients whose asthma is not well controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists.
To learn more, contact the Florida Hospital DeLand Digestive Health Center at 386-736-7295.
