Overview

Thank you for your interest in the Duke University Medical Center Lung Volume Reduction Program. If you are reading this information, you probably have emphysema and are in the process of trying to determine what might be available to help you and your breathing problems. We understand that difficulty in breathing affects more than just your breath. It affects your daily activities, work and play - your very lifestyle. All too often, it affects almost everything you do every day. There are different therapies and approaches to managing emphysema.. Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is one form of therapy that may be appropriate to help you address these problems.

 

To save you time, it is important that you read and understand the information contained in these pages before you contact us. We also recommend that you encourage your family to read this information. We know that your emphysema impacts them just as it does you.

 

This type of surgery is intended to treat emphysema predominantly in the upper regions of the lungs. It is used strictly for people with emphysema or bullous lung disease. It is not effective, and therefore not appropriate, as a treatment for asthma, interstitial lung disease, chronic bronchitis, or bronchiectasis.

 

Everyone who comes to Duke for evaluation will undergo a series of interviews, tests and appointments with a pulmonary specialist and/or thoracic surgeon. This process is designed to give us and you as complete a picture as possible to help assess whether this surgery is the right thing for you. However, even if we find that surgery is not an appropriate option for you, there are other options that can help you obtain and maintain the highest level of pulmonary health possible. The tests and interviews will help us identify a suitable treatment plan for your pulmonary health.