Amarillo doctor explains new procedure that offers hope for COPD patients

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is offering a new treatment for patients suffering from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
For those who have quit smoking but have limitations from the residual lung damage associated with emphysema, the procedure is called bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR).
This treatment is less invasive and offers new hope for patients by providing an alternative to more invasive surgeries.
“For the last several decades the only surgical option that we had to help to make it easier for patients to breathe was lung transplant. Of course, lung transplant is as invasive of an operation you can possibly do, and has a large number of potential complications with it,” said Dr. Mark Sigler, Texas Tech Physicians Pulmonologist.
BLVR is designed to help patients breathe easier by reducing the size of damaged areas in the lungs.
“We want to see our patients have an improvement in their quality of life. Sometimes this means patients can’t even do things like make their bed or do their laundry without having to rest, and we want patients to be able to do that — that’s by far the most important thing,” said Dr. Sigler.
Doctors use a bronchoscope to place tiny one-way valves in the airways, allowing trapped air to escape and improve lung function.
“There’s no incision or no cutting as we go to put the valves in. We use a bronchoscope, meaning a thin tube with a camera at the very end of it, where we go in through our patients mouth and go down into their lungs and through that thin bronchoscope we insert the valves all the way into the patient’s lungs,” said Dr. Sigler.
This innovative option is ideal for those with advanced COPD who haven’t found relief through traditional treatments.
To determine if a patient is a good candidate, they’ll be required to undergo a pulmonary function test, CT scan, blood test, and six-minute walk test.
Dr. Sigler does caution there can be risks, including pneumonia or a collapsed lung.
He says one out of every four patients could experience a collapsed lung, and when that happens, a tube is inserted to help heal the lung.
Dr. Sigler emphasized patients must quit smoking at least four months before receiving treatment and must refrain from smoking after the procedure.
He is the only provider in the region who performs this procedure.
To learn more about BLVR and determine if this procedure is an appropriate solution for you, call Texas Tech Physicians Internal Medicine at (806)-414-9100.
Copyright 2025 KFDA. All rights reserved.
link