(NAPSI)—Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects approximately 16 million Americans and can make even simple daily activities feel overwhelming. For people with severe COPD, walking across a room or climbing a flight of stairs can be exhausting. Today, however, new treatment options—including endobronchial valves (EBVs)—offer renewed possibilities. These minimally invasive devices can help certain patients breathe easier.
“I feel completely renewed,” says New Jersey accountant Nick, 61, who credits the valves with giving him his life back. “I know there’s no cure, but this is the closest to being cured that I’ve felt. I can take long walks, fly on a plane and enjoy time on the beach with my family again.”
The diagnosis
Nick was barely 50 when his longtime smoking habit came back to haunt him. After a series of upper respiratory infections that antibiotics didn’t fix, he got sicker and was eventually diagnosed with severe COPD/emphysema.
Nick was soon spending his days on his living room couch surrounded by oxygen tanks and a bulky concentrator connected by a long tube that stretched across the room.
The future looked bleak. There was no desire to live. There was no comfort in knowing what the progression of COPD was to bring.
A surprising discovery
Nick tried pulmonary rehab and medications with little effect. The next intervention would’ve been a surgical lung reduction or transplant.
Nick’s wife, Jennifer, an ER nurse and educator, was frustrated with the lack of treatment options doctors presented to her husband. She began doing her own research and eventually learned about the Zephyr® Valves, a type of EBV manufactured by Pulmonx Corporation. The tiny, one-way devices are placed in patients’ airways bronchoscopically without incisions. The valves release trapped air and redirect airflow to healthier parts of the lung.
Nick had the endobronchial valve procedure in 2024. While individual results vary, many patients experience meaningful improvements in breathing1—and for Nick, the effect was substantial.
With greater capacity to move and exercise, he committed to rebuilding his overall health. He became more active and lost more than 75 pounds, and was able to reduce several medications he previously relied on.
Soon, Nick was completely off oxygen, walking up to 15,000 steps a day.
“I’m very proud of my husband,” says Jennifer. “I just wish more people—both patients and doctors—knew that endobronchial valves exist. Having information about all the potential options can make a big difference.”
A physician’s perspective
Dr. Killol K. Patel, who performed Nick’s Zephyr Valve procedure, is the Director of Interventional Pulmonary at Hackensack Meridian Health—Central Region.
Patel has placed the valves for a number of patients, and many have experienced positive outcomes, like Nick.
Patel explains how he defines success for patients before placing valves: “A good outcome means that you can walk further; even if you get short of breath, you’ll recover quicker. And for many patients, you’ll be able to get back to your life. In my experience, most of my patients achieve these outcomes.”
The Zephyr Valves received FDA approval in 2018, and today more than 40,000 people worldwide have been treated. While progress is being made, awareness remains limited.
“There’s a saying in healthcare that even if the data pans out, it can take seven to 10 years for a treatment to become mainstream,” Patel says. “What’s most important is making sure patients are evaluated early. If the disease progresses too far, they may no longer qualify.”
The valves were the right answer at the right time for Nick. “It’s not just my life that was changed,” he says, “it was our family’s lives. I feel like I have a purpose again.”
Advances in COPD treatment can offer a chance at a renewed life. For those living with severe emphysema who have exhausted standard medical therapies, discussing all available options with a specialist could be the first step toward breathing easier.
Learn more about Zephyr Valves: https://pulmonx.com/.
1.Criner, GJ, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2018; 198(9), 1151-1164
Results of individual cases vary.
Important Safety Information: The Pulmonx Zephyr® Endobronchial Valves are implantable bronchial valves indicated for the bronchoscopic treatment of adult patients with hyperinflation associated with severe emphysema in regions of the lung that have little to no collateral ventilation. Complications can include but are not limited to pneumothorax (tear in the lung), worsening of COPD symptoms, hemoptysis, pneumonia, and, in rare cases, death. The Zephyr Valve is contraindicated in patients who have not quit smoking. Please talk with your physician about other contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse events. Only a trained physician can decide whether a particular patient is an appropriate candidate for treatment with the Zephyr Valve.
Caution: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.
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"When it comes to COPD care, “what’s most important is making sure patients are evaluated early,” says Dr. Killol K. Patel, Director of Interventional Pulmonary at Hackensack Meridian Health—Central Region."
