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COPD: First UK patients get pioneering new treatment for serious lung disease

Cuddles

Well-known member
I found this today and hope it may be of help. It was already published in 2016 but I´m not sure how many people know about this already.
(just thought that it could be of interest :) )

First UK patients get pioneering new treatment for serious lung disease​


A new cutting-edge treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been carried out by experts at Royal Brompton and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals in London as part of a research trial.
COPD is an umbrella term for a collection of conditions causing lung damage, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and affects around three million people in the UK.
The new procedure uses electrodes to destroy branches of the vagus nerve in the lungs, known to be responsible for muscle contraction and mucus secretion, which result in narrowing and obstructions in the airways. In patients with COPD these nerves are overactive, usually as a result of damage caused by smoking, and the constant mucus secretion and airway obstruction leads to symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, wheeze and tightness of the chest.
By blocking the actions of the vagus nerve in the lung, it is hoped that patients’ symptoms, lung function and quality of life will be improved. Experts hope that the one-off treatment, known as targeted lung denervation (TLD), will have permanent benefits and may replace the need for the long-term use of anticholinergic drugs, which are often prescribed for patients with COPD.
The minimally-invasive procedure, which takes up to an hour, is being carried out by consultant respiratory physician and chief UK investigator, Dr Pallav Shah, as part of the international AIRFLOW-1 clinical trial. It is currently being tested on patients with moderate to severe COPD.
During the novel procedure, a narrow tube with a light and camera at the tip – known as a bronchoscope – is inserted into the airways while the patient is under general
anaesthetic. A thin tube (catheter) is then manoeuvred through the bronchoscope into the bronchus (the main air passages of the lungs) where interconnecting nerve branches are located. Electrical energy is supplied and the electrodes on the catheter selectively hit the nerves with heat from 10-20mm away, destroying them, while sparing tissue and blood vessels.
Dr Shah, consultant physician at Royal Brompton and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals, explains: “Treating the nerves in this way blocks their actions more efficiently than anticholinergic inhalers, which only work temporarily, can have an irregular distribution within the lungs and may cause side-effects such as blurred vision and urine retention in a small number of patients.
“This procedure keeps obstructed airways open to improve breathing and has the potential to provide a permanent improvement for all patients with COPD.”
Gillian Joseph, 72, was one of the first patients to have the procedure as part of the clinical trial. The grandmother of five from Bushey, Hertfordshire, was diagnosed with emphysema around 18 years ago and her symptoms deteriorated significantly over the last five years.
She said: “After a few steps I couldn’t walk anywhere or do anything. Even something like going to the supermarket was impossible. I hated the way I was and felt old before my time.”
She asked her consultant to refer her to Royal Brompton after hearing about another innovative procedure for COPD carried out at the hospital. Although her condition meant that particular treatment was not appropriate, she was suitable for the new trial and had the procedure at the end of April.
Gillian said: “I was noticeably less breathless immediately after having the treatment. Now I can go shopping and walk around normally for the first time in years – it feels like a miracle. I’m still pinching myself because I can’t quite believe it, I’m over the moon.
“Best of all it meant that I was in good health when my daughter Sara recently got married. I’m privileged to have been offered this treatment before so many others – it’s been an amazing experience.”
The clinical trial, which is taking place at Royal Brompton Hospital, in collaboration with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, in the UK and at a number of locations across Europe, will evaluate the safety of TLD. It is funded by Holaira,Inc., a U.S. company that manufactures the Holaira™ Lung Denervation System.

If you are a patient seeking more information about this trial, contact the Trust's research office.

PRESS RELEASE
11 July 2016
 

CharlesU Farley

Well-known member
I found this today and hope it may be of help. It was already published in 2016 but I´m not sure how many people know about this already.
(just thought that it could be of interest :) )

First UK patients get pioneering new treatment for serious lung disease​


A new cutting-edge treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been carried out by experts at Royal Brompton and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals in London as part of a research trial.
COPD is an umbrella term for a collection of conditions causing lung damage, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and affects around three million people in the UK.
The new procedure uses electrodes to destroy branches of the vagus nerve in the lungs, known to be responsible for muscle contraction and mucus secretion, which result in narrowing and obstructions in the airways. In patients with COPD these nerves are overactive, usually as a result of damage caused by smoking, and the constant mucus secretion and airway obstruction leads to symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, wheeze and tightness of the chest.
By blocking the actions of the vagus nerve in the lung, it is hoped that patients’ symptoms, lung function and quality of life will be improved. Experts hope that the one-off treatment, known as targeted lung denervation (TLD), will have permanent benefits and may replace the need for the long-term use of anticholinergic drugs, which are often prescribed for patients with COPD.
The minimally-invasive procedure, which takes up to an hour, is being carried out by consultant respiratory physician and chief UK investigator, Dr Pallav Shah, as part of the international AIRFLOW-1 clinical trial. It is currently being tested on patients with moderate to severe COPD.
During the novel procedure, a narrow tube with a light and camera at the tip – known as a bronchoscope – is inserted into the airways while the patient is under general
anaesthetic. A thin tube (catheter) is then manoeuvred through the bronchoscope into the bronchus (the main air passages of the lungs) where interconnecting nerve branches are located. Electrical energy is supplied and the electrodes on the catheter selectively hit the nerves with heat from 10-20mm away, destroying them, while sparing tissue and blood vessels.
Dr Shah, consultant physician at Royal Brompton and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals, explains: “Treating the nerves in this way blocks their actions more efficiently than anticholinergic inhalers, which only work temporarily, can have an irregular distribution within the lungs and may cause side-effects such as blurred vision and urine retention in a small number of patients.
“This procedure keeps obstructed airways open to improve breathing and has the potential to provide a permanent improvement for all patients with COPD.”
Gillian Joseph, 72, was one of the first patients to have the procedure as part of the clinical trial. The grandmother of five from Bushey, Hertfordshire, was diagnosed with emphysema around 18 years ago and her symptoms deteriorated significantly over the last five years.
She said: “After a few steps I couldn’t walk anywhere or do anything. Even something like going to the supermarket was impossible. I hated the way I was and felt old before my time.”
She asked her consultant to refer her to Royal Brompton after hearing about another innovative procedure for COPD carried out at the hospital. Although her condition meant that particular treatment was not appropriate, she was suitable for the new trial and had the procedure at the end of April.
Gillian said: “I was noticeably less breathless immediately after having the treatment. Now I can go shopping and walk around normally for the first time in years – it feels like a miracle. I’m still pinching myself because I can’t quite believe it, I’m over the moon.
“Best of all it meant that I was in good health when my daughter Sara recently got married. I’m privileged to have been offered this treatment before so many others – it’s been an amazing experience.”
The clinical trial, which is taking place at Royal Brompton Hospital, in collaboration with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, in the UK and at a number of locations across Europe, will evaluate the safety of TLD. It is funded by Holaira,Inc., a U.S. company that manufactures the Holaira™ Lung Denervation System.

If you are a patient seeking more information about this trial, contact the Trust's research office.

PRESS RELEASE
11 July 2016
As an RRT, registered respiratory therapist in America, this could be a phenomenal treatment. If COPD patients _feel_ like they're breathing better, then they focking are!!!

Thanks for posting this, will dive in much deeper when I feel better and get a chance.

You should post this in the cannabis bibliography that skunk man is maintaining, this could be one of the most important discoveries in a very long time!
 
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CharlesU Farley

Well-known member
Thats super news. My aunt had COPD and its a tough way to check out
As one who has seen literally _thousands_ of people die from this, connected to a ventilator or not, it is one of the most _horrible_ f-cking ways to die you can ever imagine.

I'm probably going to get a whole shitload of blowback on this, but I would rather die of a heart attack, a stroke or cancer than COPD. And I've seen _all_ of these kind of patients die. I always shudder when I think how many f-ckers saw _my_ face as the last thing they saw before they died??? Yeah I know, that's a scary f-cking thought... in more ways than one.😂

Those ways to die are _faster_ then COPD. 😢

To quote Chris Farley... "for the love of God and all that's Holy", if anyone reading this is still smoking cigarettes/tobacco, please oh _please_ stop!!

And if you're _smoking_ cannabis, please consider _vaping_. If you're _vaping_, please consider _edibles_.

Smoke or vapor, of any f-cking kind, is detrimental/toxic to your lungs.

Y'all be careful out there. ;)
 
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CharlesU Farley

Well-known member
Oh yes i agree. And she carried on her chronic smoking habit pretty much to the end. It was sad to watch
I _so_ understand the smoking habit. When I was but a young lad of _19_, I did my Respiratory clinicals at the Miami VA. I treated vets from both World War I and World War II. I used to treat these old geezers who would smoke Camel non-filters through their _stoma_ (hole in their neck from a laryngectomy, where they cut out their voice box because of cancer, so they can't talk).

I used to have to pick out the pieces of f-cking _tobacco_ from the yellow/green snot that they would cough up around that hole. Guess what caused the cancer in their larynx?

That's f-cking addiction!

I'm so sorry you had to witness that. 😭
 
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RobFromTX

Well-known member
I _so_ understand the smoking habit. When I was but a young lad of _19_, I did my Respiratory clinicals at the Miami VA. I treated vets from both World War I and World War II. I used to treat these old geezers who would smoke Camel non-filters through their _stoma_ (hole in their neck from a laryngectomy, where they cut out their voice box because of cancer, so they can't talk).

I used to have to pick out the pieces of fucking _tobacco_ from the yellow/green snot that they would cough up around that hole. Guess what caused the cancer in their larynx?

That's fucking addiction!

I'm so sorry you had to witness that. 😭
Something will come for us all buddy. I know a lady that died of lung cancer and never smoked a thing in her whole life. and she was a health nut
 

CharlesU Farley

Well-known member
Something will come for us all buddy. I know a lady that died of lung cancer and never smoked a thing in her whole life. and she was a health nut
Never thought I'd live to be 30, that's why I quit smoking in '85. Now that I'm going to be _70_ next year, I'm so very f-cking glad I did. The long distance runner Jim Fixx died of a f-cking heart attack, imagine that? :ROFLMAO:
Working in a hospital as long as I did, I could tell you stories of people who died... who shouldn't have. And people who lived, who never should have. :rolleyes:

You just take a Take It a Day At a Time and Roll With It. ;)
 
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Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
The standard amuhrican diet and scented plugins are the new tobacco for lung issues. Ever notice the folks who walk around with oxygen bottles/machines? Most have mucus producing diets and smell like powdery perfume from their plugins and fabric softener. Is it any surprise my lungs hurt after breathing their house air for an hour?
 

Cuddles

Well-known member
The standard amuhrican diet and scented plugins are the new tobacco for lung issues. Ever notice the folks who walk around with oxygen bottles/machines? Most have mucus producing diets and smell like powdery perfume from their plugins and fabric softener. Is it any surprise my lungs hurt after breathing their house air for an hour?
milk is the main culprit imo. I stopped using cows milk, cream cheese etc and it made a difference. Trouble is my taste buds - they hate it and want that crema fraiche, and so on , sigh :(
 

CharlesU Farley

Well-known member
The standard amuhrican diet and scented plugins are the new tobacco for lung issues. Ever notice the folks who walk around with oxygen bottles/machines? Most have mucus producing diets and smell like powdery perfume from their plugins and fabric softener. Is it any surprise my lungs hurt after breathing their house air for an hour?
Diet has almost absolutely no effect on COPD, it's the f-cking cigarette smoking. Perfume and fabric softener aren't the problem, f-cking _cigarette_ smoke is, and indirectly cannabis smoke / vapor as well. :)
 
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Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
Diet has almost absolutely no effect on COPD, it's the f-cking cigarette smoking. Perfume and fabric softener aren't the problem, f-cking _cigarette_ smoke is, and indirectly cannabis smoke / vapor as well. :)
I identify as being correct, and actually more correct than you. :)
Having studied extensively on diet and it's effects on lung function, and also having studied air quality and it's effects on lungs, I'm ok with you having a differing, and very uneducated, opinion on the subject. :)
 
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Cuddles

Well-known member
If COPD patients _feel_ like they're breathing better, then they focking are!!!
I agree.
I don´t have COPD but I had a rare cold a few years ago which turned into a serious bronchitis. I could barely breathe at all and for the first time in my life I had serious panic attacks.
The GP I eventually went to see just told me to take some standard stuff which was expensive but not at all helpful.
Well, to cut a longer story a bit shorter:
About 15 months ago I read about lungwort tea and decided to give it a try (the capsules are waaay to pricey) . The effect of the tea was immediate!
Before I had even finished the first cup, I was able to breathe more normal and more deeply again. I was actually taking in more oxygen again. I felt less pressure in my chest/lungs.
The stuff also helps to clear the lungs and get rid off all that crap that has been stuck inside .

And to get back to your statement -
Nobody and I mean NOBODY ever believes me when I tell them about this - especially DOCTORS. They reckon it´s a pacebo effect (which is a totally over used term these days imo) - in other words they´re saying / thinking: You´re a really dumb woman and have no idea!

!
 
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