Dayton, OH – Good Samaritan Hospital announced today that it is now offering an innovative procedure called bronchial thermoplasty for the treatment of severe asthma. Good Samaritan Hospital is the first and only hospital in the Dayton region to offer this non-drug procedure. Bronchial thermoplasty is being performed at Good Samaritan Hospital by three physicians: Rajesh C. Patel, MD; Anuj Goyal, MD; and Thomas J. M. Yunger, Jr., MD; all pulmonologists skilled in bronchoscopy and specially trained to perform bronchial thermoplasty. For an estimated 2 million adults with severe asthma, who continue to have asthma-related symptoms despite standard of care medications, bronchial thermoplasty is a new treatment option.
"I can now offer some patients an alternative to inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists to treat their severe asthma," stated Dr. Rajesh C. Patel, MD. "For those life-long, asthma-suffering patients that are candidates for bronchial thermoplasty, it can provide a life-changing positive outcome. Being able to breathe makes what most people take for granted possible for some, whether it is walking up a flight of stairs or playing in the backyard with children or grandchildren, bronchial thermoplasty can make a difference. "
Bronchial thermoplasty is an outpatient procedure that treats severe asthma by going to the source. The lungs consist of multiple airway passages that are surrounded by airway smooth muscle. For people with asthma, this airway smooth muscle is more susceptible to triggers and irritants that can cause it to constrict and reduce the amount of air that flows through the lungs. Bronchial thermoplasty uses a small catheter to deliver controlled energy to the airways of the lung to reduce the amount of excessive airway smooth muscle. This reduction decreases the muscle's ability to constrict the airways, resulting in a decreased frequency of asthma attacks.
Bronchial thermoplasty with the Alair® System is the first non-drug procedure approved by the FDA for adults with severe asthma who are not well controlled on current medications, and is expected to complement asthma medications by providing long-lasting asthma control. The procedure is routinely performed under moderate sedation and the patient goes home the same day. To treat the entire lung, the complete bronchial thermoplasty procedure is performed in 3 separate outpatient treatment sessions, each treating a different area of the lung and scheduled approximately 3 weeks apart.
In clinical studies, the benefits of bronchial thermoplasty included reduced severe asthma attacks, decreased visits to the ER and hospital for respiratory symptoms, and less time lost from work or school due to asthma. Adults suffering from severe asthma need to talk with their physician to determine whether bronchial thermoplasty is right for them.
While May is Asthma Awareness Month, over 20 million Americans live with asthma every day and are aware of their symptoms throughout the year. Asthma is a respiratory disease that causes the airways in the lungs to narrow and makes it hard to breathe. For people with asthma, this condition can significantly impact their quality of life and, in some cases, can be life threatening. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), asthma accounts for approximately 13 million asthma attacks, 2 million emergency room visits, 500,000 hospitalizations and 4,000 deaths each year. There is no cure for asthma, however, asthma can be managed with proper education and treatment.
To learn more about asthma, please go to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America website at www.aafa.org . To learn more about bronchial thermoplasty, please visit www.GoodSamDayton.org/asthma.
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