“This is a groundbreaking moment for patients who suffer from emphysema,” said Sam G. Kosseifi, M.D., DABSM, lead pulmonologist at Holy Cross Health. “It’s a minimally invasive procedure that helps them breathe easier without major surgery and improves their quality of life.”

 

Dr. Kosseifi and his team inserted four one-way tiny valves into the airways of Stanley Williams, a 79-year-old patient who has had COPD for a long time. The valves were inserted to block off the diseased parts of the lungs where air gets trapped. Keeping air from getting trapped in the diseased parts of the lung allows the healthier parts of the lungs to expand and take in more air and allow the patient to breathe easier, while reducing shortness of breath and also allowing the patient to be more active and energetic.

 

"It was getting harder and harder to breathe," said Williams. "Since the valve implant, I can breathe much easier and can take deep breaths without any strain. Any physical activity used to require me to sit down and catch my breath but now my recovery time is much quicker and my lungs are working better."

 

Before the Zephyr Valves the only options for relief were highly invasive treatments including lung surgeries.