El Camino Hospital Offers Revolutionary New Asthma Treatment

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 31 Aug 2010 - 3:00 PDT

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El Camino Hospital has been selected as one of the first hospitals in Northern California to offer bronchial thermoplasty , a new medical treatment for the most severe cases of asthma. Approved by the FDA in April and now becoming available at leading pulmonary institutions across the country, the treatment promises significant relief for the 10 to 15% of asthma sufferers whose out-of-control symptoms cannot be contained by current medications.

Dr. Ganesh Krishna, an interventional pulmonologist renowned for his skilled minimally invasive approach to diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases, heads the new treatment program at El Camino Hospital.

"We are pleased that Dr. Krishna and El Camino Hospital will be among the first in the Bay Area to offer Bronchial Thermoplasty (BT)," said Glen French, CEO of Asthmatx, Inc., which developed the equipment used to perform bronchial thermoplasties. "Our history working together with the extraordinary physicians at El Camino makes this new collaboration particularly rewarding for Asthmatx."

"Bronchial thermoplasty is an important step forward for patients with severe asthma," said Dr. Krishna. "Not only does it result in a reduction in symptoms, but there is no evidence from the studies that, once treated, patients ever need to be treated again."

Asthma is an incurable inflammatory disorder of the airways that causes wheezing and shortness of breath. More than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, and estimates of treatment costs run as high as $18 billion annually. It accounts for almost 10 million U.S. outpatient visits, 2 million visits to the emergency room, 500,000 hospitalizations and 4000 deaths annually.

Fortunately, most people can control their asthma with a combination of lifestyle alterations - to avoid the triggers that cause attacks - and medications. Long-acting corticosteroids help prevent attacks and quick relief "rescue" bronchodilators act to reduce symptoms during an attack.

But for 10 to 15% of asthma sufferers - those with the most severe, persistent form of the disorder - current medications aren't enough. Their asthma inflicts a daily toll of misery and restricted activities. Because medications can't prevent life-threatening attacks, patients must turn to total lifestyle control: no pets, no perfumes, no exposure to grasses and other plants that might trigger an allergic response.

But all that is changing with the advent of bronchial thermoplasty, a non-drug procedure for severe persistent adult asthma patients whose condition cannot otherwise be controlled. It delivers thermal energy to the airway wall to reduce excessive smooth muscle tissue that constricts during an asthma attack. In clinical trials, this procedure resulted in significantly reduced frequency of asthma attacks.

Bronchial thermoplasty is administered in three minimally invasive outpatient bronchoscopies, each targeting a different part of the lungs. The patient is under moderate sedation or light anesthesia and typically goes home the same day. Because symptoms typically temporarily worsen following each treatment, procedures are scheduled three weeks apart to minimize impact.

"Bronchial thermoplasty coupled with asthma maintenance medications can provide long-lasting asthma control and improve the quality of life of patients with severe asthma," said Dr. Krishna. "Studies have shown that it reduces emergency rooms visits for respiratory symptoms and helps patients restore the daily activities that were previously restricted due to asthma."

Only adult patients 18 or older whose symptoms cannot be controlled with medication are eligible for the treatment. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call 800-216-5556.

Source:
El Camino Hospital

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