BMJ  2006;332:375-376 (18 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7538.375

Editorial

Surgery for emphysema

New endoscopic techniques show promise

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Emphysema affects 3.1 million people in the United States alone and causes severe disability and early death in up to 45% of patients.1 Emphysematous destruction of the lung is associated with decreased elastic recoil pressure. As a result, the diseased lung requires less pressure than a normal lung to inflate and, once inflated, exerts less pressure to empty; lungs in emphysema therefore tend to remain inflated, with overexpansion of the rib cage and flattening of the diaphragm. Patients are trapped in a state of permanent hyperinflation and dyspnoea. No amount of effort can empty their lungs: the harder they strain to breathe, the more the airways collapse and obstruct the outflow of gas.

Current medical treatment with inhaled bronchodilators, glucocorticoids, mucolytics, and antioxidants may improve symptoms temporarily but does not prevent the decline in lung function. Various surgical procedures have been implemented in the past to relieve dyspnoea and . . . [Full text of this article]

Federico Venuta, associate professor of thoracic surgery

University of Rome "La Sapienza," Policlinico Umberto I, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Viale del Policlinico, Rome 00100, Italy
(sofed@libero.it)

Giulio Bognolo, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon

Cardiothoracic Unit, Barts and the London NHS Trust, London EC1A 7BE


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ