Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) / Emphysema
Our clinic offers a comprehensive assessment of your lung function. This involves confirming your diagnosis if necessary with a breathing test called spirometry. The severity of your COPD and how well it is controlled will be reviewed. Your current treatment regime will also be studied and revised if appropriate. Your specialist will work closely with radiologists and thoracic surgeons to ensure that you have the most up-to-date and best level of care possible.
COVE study
We are running the COVE study for patients who cannot have endobronchial valves.
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Like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic condition that causes shortness of breath and affects small airways in the lungs. It is an umbrella term for conditions such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis or longstanding irreversible asthma, where the damage to the lungs causes narrowing of the airways, making it difficult to breathe. Symptoms are:
- Shortness of breath
- Sputum production
- Cough
COPD is a progressive condition that can get worse with time. This progression can be more rapid if you continue to have flare-ups or exacerbations, which require treatment with steroids, antibiotics or hospital admissions. The goal of therapy is to reduce your symptoms and your risk of future exacerbations.
Although there is no cure for COPD there are a number of treatment options available. The best and most effective therapy however is giving up smoking. Other treatment options include:
- inhalers (like in asthma),
- steroid tablets if there is flare up,
- pulmonary rehabilitation
- lung volume reduction surgery or endobronchial valves if you have very severe emphysema. This is done by thoracic surgeons who have extensive experience in this field