GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Kent County has the second highest rate of emphysema in the state. Emphysema is a severe form of COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids is one of the first hospitals in the state to offer a non-invasive treatment to help make breathing easier for patients called the Zephyr Valve System.
Dr. Gustavo Cumbo-Nacheli, an interventional pulmonologist with Spectrum Health says the treatment offers patients a non-surgical alternative to breathing easier with emphysema, "We put a couple of small prosthesis to shut down the area of the lung that works the least and allows for the areas that work better to do what they are expected to do which is letting patients go about their lives without getting breathless."
The one-time procedure is done during a simple 30 to 60-minute bronchoscopy that requires no incision. It places an average of four tiny Zephyr valves into the airways to block diseased parts of the lungs. This reduces hyperinflation of the damaged areas and allows healthier lung tissue to expand and ease pressure off the diaphragm.
To if see if you qualify for the Zephyr treatment, call 616-504-2988.
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