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| End Stage Emphysema |
Question:
Can end stage sufferers of emphysema benefit from surgery?
Answer:
End stage emphysema patients may benefit significantly
from lung volume reduction surgery. Lungs damaged by
emphysema gradually lose their elasticity. The surgical
technique removes diseased portions of the lung to
improve function for the remaining lung tissue.
Researchers looked at 26 patients with end-stage
emphysema, average age 67. Medical scientists estimated
that 60 percent of the severely ill study patients
would have died from respiratory failure within one
year had they not had the surgery. Nine patients who
had the surgery had significant improvement after three
years. Seven of the patients maintained improvement
after four years, and two kept on for five years. Be-
fore the operation, all patients had exhausted the best
medical therapy possible and could walk less than 100
yards. All participants smoked at least 20 cigarettes
every day per year. The researchers published their
findings in the American Journal of Respiratory and
Critical Care Medicine.
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