Several years ago Dr. John Miller, Head of the
Division of Thoracic Surgery at St. Joseph 's, began
limited bronchial thermoplasty procedures in
patients who were scheduled to have lung surgery. He
explained, "These projects have been evolving over
five years as we've tried to find a way to
bronchoscopically treat emphysema and asthma.
Initially we began looking for ways to stiffen
airways for emphysema patients with dynamic airway
collapse. As we developed the technology, we saw
that this particular way of treating the airway had
a profound effect on the smooth muscle and not much
else. The amount of smooth muscle is significantly
reduced by thermoplasty. We recognized that this
procedure might therefore be an appropriate
treatment for people with asthma."
Brenda Donahue had to fight for every breath; her
emergency inhaler was never far away. "I was
reaching for it seven, eight times a day. My
co-workers noticed that even during a simple
conversation I was often struggling for breath. They
could hear me straining for air from a distance."
The 42-year-old administration case coordinator had
tried different medications with uneven results. Her
family physician recommended that she enroll in an
investigative study of yet another asthma drug. But
she refused. Brenda wanted something else. "This new
treatment was an opportunity. And not just for me.
I've seen children fighting for breath and I know
how scared their parents are. I know how terrified I
get when I can't get air into my lungs. This
procedure promised to be another way to hopefully
reduce, if not cure, my asthma."
