Background Endobronchial valve (EBV) treatment is an effective treatment for patients with severe emphysema. Revision bronchoscopies after endobronchial valve treatment can be essential to prolong the effect of treatment or address long-term complications. Purpose To evaluate the indications, endoscopic findings and outcomes of revision bronchoscopies and investigate if any predictors for granulation tissue formation, after EBV treatment, can be identified. Patients and Methods Patients who underwent EBV treatment between 2016 and 2019 in our hospital, as routine care, were included. If a patient underwent a revision bronchoscopy, data regarding revision bronchoscopies, including indication, finding, intervention and pulmonary function testing (PFT) after revision bronchoscopy were analysed. Results One hundred seventy-nine patients were included of which 41% required at least one revision bronchoscopy. In 43% of the revision bronchoscopy patients, the indication was loss of initial treatment effect. In 53% of the revision bronchoscopy patients, granulation tissue was found to be the underlying cause. Valve replacement(s) were performed in 51% of the revision bronchoscopy cases. Permanent valve removal was required in 13% of all patients. Overall, revision bronchoscopies led to improvements in PFT outcomes for patients experiencing no or a loss of initial treatment effect. No clinically relevant predictors for granulation tissue formation were identified. Conclusion Performing a revision bronchoscopy after EBV treatment is a useful procedure leading to an improved treatment effect in most patients. Granulation tissue formation, causing valve dysfunction, is the most common cause of longer term problems.

Increasing numbers of endoscopically implantable devices are implanted in the airways, such as airway stents, one-way valves and coils, to treat both malignant and benign diseases. They significantly improve patient outcomes, but their long-term effectiveness and sustainability is hampered by the reaction of the formation of granulation tissue. Factors including procedural-related tissue injury; micro-organism presence; device-related factors, such as the material, design and sizing in relation to the airway; and patient-related factors, including genetic susceptibility, comorbidities and medication use, might all effect the severity of the tissue response and the subsequent degree of granulation tissue formation. However, research into the underlying mechanism and risk factors is scarce and therefore our knowledge is limited. Joint efforts from the scientific community, both pre-clinical and clinical, are needed to gain a deeper understanding and eventually improve the long-term treatment effectiveness of lung-implantable devices.

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Lung volume reduction coil (LVR-coil) treatment provides a minimally invasive treatment option for severe emphysema patients which has been studied in multiple clinical trials. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The aim of the study was to assess the effect of LVR-coil treatment on pulmonary function, quality of life, and exercise capacity using individual participant data. <b><i>Method:</i></b> PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched until May 17, 2021. Prospective single-arm and randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of LVR-coil treatment on forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁), residual volume (RV), St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score, and/or 6-min walk distance (6MWD) and were registered in an official clinical trial database were eligible for inclusion. Individual patient data were requested, and a linear mixed effects model was used to calculate overall treatment effects. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Eight trials were included in the final analysis, representing 680 individual patients. LVR-coil treatment resulted in a significant improvement in FEV1 at 3- (0.09 L [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.06–0.12]) and 6-month follow-up (0.07 L [95% CI: 0.03–0.10]), a significant reduction in RV at 3- (−0.45L [95% CI: −0.62 to −0.28]), 6- (−0.33L [95% CI: −0.52 to −0.14]), and 12-month follow-up (−0.36L [95% CI: −0.64 to −0.08]), a significant reduction in SGRQ total score at 3- (−12.3 points [95% CI: −15.8 to −8.8]), 6- (−10.1 points [95% CI: −12.8 to −7.3]), and 12-month follow-up (−9.8 points [95% CI: −15.0 to −4.7]) and a significant increase in 6MWD at 3-month follow-up (38 m [95% CI: 18–58]). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> LVR-coil treatment in emphysema patients results in sustained improvements in pulmonary function and quality of life and shorter lived improvements in exercise capacity. Since the owner of this LVR-coil has decided to stop the production and newer generations LVR-coils are currently being developed, these results can act as a reference for future studies and clinical guidance.