1998 ALA/ATS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
LUNG VOLUME REDUCTION SURGERY PATIENTS
STILL DOING WELL AFTER THREE YEARS
For Release: Monday April 27, 1998
Contact:
Mike White
703 739-1363
312 808-2005 as of April 26th
Even after three years, 25 patients who underwent Lung Volume Reduction Surgery (LVRS) still showed improvements in lung functioning, according to researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
One of the questions regarding this relatively new surgical procedure is whether its benefits are of a short-range or long-range nature. Indeed, a major federally sponsored clinical trial is underway to answer this and other questions related to LVRS. Most of the studies on LVRS reported to date focus on a one or two year period following surgery.
In a report being presented at the 1998 American Lung Association/American Thoracic Society International Conference in Chicago, Dr. Robert Yusen and colleagues reported that such measurements as breathing capacity, lung volume, exercise capacity, and supplemental oxygen requirements represented improvements even after three years following the surgery. At the same time, investigators did observe a trend toward some decline in lung function two years after surgery. Involved were 12 male patients and 13 female patients whose average age was 56. The surgery took place at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, one of the pioneering centers for this procedure.
LVRS is a general term for a variety of surgical procedures that involve partial removal and resectioning of the lung. It is performed on patients in the last stages of emphysema, a chronic lung condition usually caused by smoking that represents a major cause of death and disability in the U.S. Research underway is trying to show whether LVRS is safe and effective. it will also try to determine appropriate patient selection for the procedure and to assess the different surgical interventions now being used. Until research findings from the ongoing clinical trials are reported and evaluated, the American Thoracic Society recommends that this form of surgery only be done in facilities with an established experience and well-defined protocols that will provide outcome measures to help assess the procedure.
-0-
RSS