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Whats a lung reduction?

Reading up on emphysema cause my husband has less than 22 percent lung capacity 2 years ago. Hes 47
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15695260 tn?1549593113
Hello there.  I just wanted to check in with you and see how your husband is doing.  We are thinking of you both.
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15695260 tn?1549593113
Hello and welcome to the forum.  Thank you for your question but we are sorry and concerned to hear about your husband.  He is a young man to have COPD and such low lung capacity.  He is under a doctor's care I assume? It is very important to work with them for guidance.  And are they recommending the lung reduction surgery?  This is a treatment option and at your husbands age and stage of disease, it would seem like a viable plan.  

The technical name of this is lung volume reduction surgery and involves cutting out the small areas of damaged lung  to allow the other areas to function better.  It has been shown to improve breathing for some with emphysema and COPD.  This works particularly well when the damage is in the upper part of the lungs. They would need to put your husband through some testing to make sure he is a candidate for the surgery.  As with all surgeries, there are risks involved.  The most common risk from LVR surgery is air leaks where air leaks into the chest. A tube is often placed to help and it normally resolves in a week post surgery. When it doesn't, sometimes a second surgery to correct that may be recommended.  There are other risks as well but they are less common.  It's important though to fully understand the risks to compare to the benefits before undergoing surgery.  But I'm sure being able to enjoy a better quality of life is very motivating to your husband at this point given his lung capacity.  Here's some more information on the surgery.  https://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-procedures-and-tests/lung-volume-reduction-surgery.html

When are they thinking of performing this surgery?  We wish you and your husband the best.
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