Endobronchial Lung Volume Reduction Therapies

Lung Transplant for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

“…First, confirming optimized treatments and lack of alternative options that could provide better symptom control and quality of life, for example the evaluation for BLVR or SLVR. 7 Next, the transplant team will evaluate current pulmonary status, symptoms, clinical trajectory, and objective testing to confirm prognosis to determine most appropriate timing for further evaluation and listing. This could be fully elective work-up done over months, prescheduled assessment over weeks, or expedited inpatient evaluation over days.…”

“…1,5 At most centers that perform lung transplantation, evaluation is done in conjunction with evaluation for bronchoscopic or surgical lung volume reduction (BLVR and SLVR) procedures, if patients were not evaluated for them prior. 6,7 In patients that meet criteria for both, risks and benefits of all options are discussed to allow for informed decision making. Having lung volume reduction is not prohibitive of lung transplantation in the future.…”