zephyer valve, lung volume reduction

[car54]

This is related to sleep apnea because often people with COPD have sleep apnea.
Does anyone have or have knowledge of zephyer valve to reduce the lung volume.
I have less than 50% lung volume and I am being tested for this possible procedure.
Any information would be welcome.

Here is a video explaining it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFHTxXLQqug

Thanks, car54

[HalfAsleep]

Curious. Why would you want to reduce your lung volume further when you’re already at only 50%?

[car54]

Basically because it is dead air, my lungs are hyperinflated.

"Zephyr Valves are tiny valves placed in the airways to occlude or block a diseased part of the lungs and reduce hyperinflation. This helps the healthier parts of the lungs to expand and lifts pressure off the diaphragm, thereby decreasing shortness of breath and making breathing easier."

"Emphysema is a form of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease commonly known as COPD. In severe emphysema, the walls of the air sacs in the lungs called the alveoli are weakened and rupture, creating larger air spaces – this is known as hyperinflation.

When this occurs, the air sacs do not work properly and old air becomes trapped in the damaged areas. This causes the diseased parts of the lung to get larger and put pressure on the healthy parts of the lungs and diaphragm. As a result, patients may find it difficult to breathe properly and take full, deep breaths"

[SeePak]

Car54, where are you!?   

Welcome to the forum.

Your thread, post, may or may not stay in the sleep apnea section as per the moderators.

I would like to point you to a discussion in the Off Topic section however, which could be of interest...

I am wondering if you are a mouth breather?

Patrick McKeown talks about keeping mouth closed when breathing, always !

For me, it is a game changer already after not even a week.

Hope you check it out......

https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread...leep-apnea

[car54]

I tend to be a mouth breather.
I understand about the possibility of switching to off topic.
I would suspect that many people on this forum have COPD and sleep apnea and there is a link between the 2.
I put it in the main forum to get feed back, I do not think many people check the off topic forum.
I am on bipap because of my COPD which causes problems exhaling. Theoretically, having a zephyer valve should improve sleep apnea because it should make it easier to exhale.

[OpalRose]

car54,

Your post is fine here in the main forum. If there had been a problem with it, I would have let you know.
If you ever have a question about stuff like that, just shoot me a PM and I will help you out.

[car54]

I'll keep you informed. I have to have a CT scan, an echo complete with contrast and a 6 minute pulmonary test. After that I meet with the doctor.
What is good about this procedure is that there are no incisions and the valves are removable.

[Jay51]

car54, it looks like a stent for an artery/vein.  I have never heard of it.  Good for you that you have done the research on it.  I hope that you make the right decision here.

[car54]

Update on the zephyer valves. 
I met with the surgeon to review all the required tests which is a lung function test, 6 minute walk test, blood test, CT scan and heart ultrasound.
I was told that I do not have enough lung damage in the "correct" areas to qualify for the procedure.
Instead I was told that I have "small airway disease".
He would like me to be part of a research study in 12 to 18 months called "Breathe-3". 
Instead of putting valves in the bronchi they would put something similar to a stent in my bronchiole which is deeper in the lung than they bronchi.
The would be about 1/2 mm in diameter and the placement and diameter would be determined by a CT scan.
It is a very new approach and because they are waiting for FDA approval for the testing there are no articles to read.