Yale-New Haven Hospital said today it has become the first Connecticut hospital to perform a non-drug procedure for severe asthma patients whose disease is not well-controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists.
The procedure, called bronchial thermoplasty, is performed with a catheter-like device that delivers heat to the lungs of patients with asthma in order to decrease the amount of smooth muscle in the lungs.
The smooth muscles are responsible for asthma symptoms.
For the procedure, patients must undergo a bronchoscopy, in which a bronchoscope is inserted into the airways through the nose or mouth.
Bronchial thermoplasty allows patients to gain better control of their asthma because the lungs are not able to constrict as much and react as vigorously to asthma triggers.
This minimally invasive procedure is performed in three outpatient visits, generally scheduled about three weeks apart, to treat different areas of the lungs.
The procedure is performed under moderate sedation or light anesthesia, and the patient typically goes home the same day.
