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Asthma procedure could spell relief
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| Nicola Hanania, M.D. |
A novel procedure that seeks to change the mechanics of breathing could revolutionize the treatment for many asthma patients and improve their quality of life.
Using a bronchoscope – a device with an attached light that looks inside the lung – lung experts at Baylor College Medicine and other places around the world apply thermal energy to the patients' airways in hopes of reducing the amount of smooth muscle in that area. By doing so, they hope to help the patients breath more easily. While the procedure does invade the body, it involves no incisions or major anesthesia.
"We hope that after this procedure is performed, patients with uncontrolled asthma would feel better, be less dependent on their asthma medication, and require fewer visits to the hospital each year," said. Nicola Hanania, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of the Asthma Clinical Research Center at BCM. "The hope is that their symptoms will improve over time."
Smooth muscles within the airway constrict or get smaller in patients with asthma. This can cause patients to gasp for breath. Current treatments for the respiratory disease, one of the most common and debilitating lung diseases in children and adults, are limited to expensive medications and inhalers, which must be used daily.
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| William Lunn, M.D. |
Hanania, the principal investigator at BCM, and William Lunn, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and director of the multidisciplinary Complex Airway and Pleural Disease Center at BCM, say that if the procedure proves effective, asthma control may be enhanced along with improvements in patients' quality of life. Participants in earlier studies reported minimal discomfort after the procedure and noticed improvements in their breathing.
"Preliminary studies show that Bronchial Thermoplasty works quite well, and patients who have moderate to severe asthma overcome many of their symptoms," said Lunn. "They get better control of their disease because their muscles aren't clamping down."
BCM is enrolling patients in the current clinical trial (AIR2 Trial). Patients with moderate to severe asthma who are between 18 and 65 years of age, are non-smokers, and take medication daily to control their asthma may be eligible to participate in this study. Patients interested in receiving more information can call the Baylor Asthma Clinical Research Center at 713-798-2681 or the national study hotline at 1-866-400-AIR2, or they can visit http://www.air2trial.com/.
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