Bronchial Thermoplasty Laguna Hills, & San Juan Capistrano, CA
Bronchial Thermoplasty
Bronchial thermoplasty is part of the comprehensive management and treatment of asthma patients. Recently approved by the FDA, bronchial thermoplasty is a novel treatment method for patients with severe or persistent asthma. Performed as an outpatient procedure, bronchial thermoplasty uses a special catheter to deliver precisely controlled thermal energy to the airways. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways characterized by periodic symptoms of cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. Chronic airway inflammation can lead to an increase in thickness of airway smooth muscle (ASM), which causes airflow constriction and difficulty breathing. The first asthma treatment modality aimed at reducing the thickness of ASM, bronchial thermoplasty improves a patient’s breathing capacity by reducing the airways’ ability to constrict airflow. Asthma patients who received bronchial thermoplasty during clinical trials have demonstrated significant improvement in their asthma symptoms as well as a reduction in the number of severe asthma flare-ups and hospital ER visits.