How to Treat Emphysema With Surgery
Lung Volume Reduction Surgery (LVRS) is a type of surgery used to treat emphysema patients by improving their breathing capacities and reducing or eliminating the dead tissue present in their lungs. This type of surgery is especially helpful when other treatments have failed or when patients are too weak for more common therapies, such as the use of steroids.
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Instructions
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Talk to your doctor early on about surgery. Many people who suffer from emphysema could improve their lives significantly by undergoing Lung Volume Reduction Surgery. Because the procedure removes dead tissue pressing on the chest cavity, patients immediately experience a feeling of relief that allows them to move around more freely.
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Consider the risks of surgery. While the surgery itself is not excessively complicated, going under general anesthesia always carries a risk, especially in patients with weak hearts, poor circulation or other medical problems. Take those factors into consideration when thinking about surgery.
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Plan for your recovery and rehabilitation. While most medical insurance policies will cover part or all of the cost of the procedure, you will still need almost 2 weeks in intensive care following the surgery. You will also be required to undergo rehabilitation therapy to learn to breathe again properly and to use your lungs more effectively.
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Don't assume surgery is necessarily the best option. Some patients, such as those whose lung capacities are so reduced that they can only breathe with the help of artificial methods, are not good candidates for surgery. At this point, the damage is so severe that surgery is probably too risky.
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Plan your surgery well in advance, and decide who will take care of you once you get back home. The recovery may require more planning than the surgery itself, and it is usually not covered by any type of medical insurance (at least not after you return home).
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Tips & Warnings
Because caring for a loved one after surgery is difficult and time-consuming, you may need your family and friends to care for you in shifts. Having several close friends, children and a spouse to help you in the months after surgery may be better than asking a single caregiver, such as a spouse, to care for you exclusively.
The cost of Lung Volume Reduction Surgery (LVRS) is extremely high and not all medical insurances are willing to cover the full cost of it. Make sure you talk to your provider to find out the specific details.
LVRS should not be used to treat emphysema in patients older than 70 unless no other treatment option is available. Older patients have a much higher risk of death during the surgery than younger patients.
