About Emphysema

Emphysema is a progressive disease of the lungs that affects approximately 2 million people in the United States and approximately 8 million patients worldwide. People suffering from emphysema experience symptoms ranging from mild shortness of breath with exercise to debilitating breathlessness at rest.

Medical treatment for emphysema consists of supplementary oxygen and various drugs designed to open the airways that lead to the lungs. Unfortunately, other than oxygen, these drugs are of limited benefit because emphysema is principally a disease of the “fabric” of the lung where gas exchange takes place, and not a disease of the airways.

As emphysema worsens, parts of the lung weaken and lose their ability to expand and contract with breathing. These parts of the lung remain expanded and prevent healthy parts of the lung from expanding properly. This gives people with emphysema a feeling of being unable to catch their breath. By removing or shrinking these expanded areas, healthy parts of the lung have more space to expand and contract. This results in better lung function.