“In my early twenties, I felt my asthma plateaued for a while - and as I aged I fell under the false assumption I had it under control; but, actually, it had me under control.”
Feeling as if she were all out of options, Mary scheduled an appointment with Faisal Khan, MD, a pulmonologist with Franciscan Health Indianapolis, who suggested bronchial thermoplasty, a new treatment for adults who suffer from severe asthma.
“Bronchial thermoplasty is unique because for the first time severe asthma can be treated in a physical way, attacking the problem at its source - the lungs,” said Dr. Khan. “As in Mary’s case, currently patients with severe, persistent asthma are treated using high doses of medication and many still continue to suffer from frequent asthma attacks.”
People with severe asthma have an excess of smooth muscle tissue lining their lungs’ airways. During an asthma attack, this muscle constricts, making it extremely hard to breathe. Bronchial thermoplasty reduces the amount of excess muscle and helps minimize the narrowing of airways during an asthma attack. Bronchial thermoplasty is an outpatient bronchoscopy procedure that uses mild heat to reduce the amount of excessive smooth muscle in the airways. It is performed in three separate appointments, scheduled three weeks apart. Each session lasts about an hour and focuses on a different part of the lungs. Bronchial thermoplasty does not replace medications; rather, it works with them to reduce the severity and even chances of an asthma attack.
After completing her treatments, Mary has never felt better. She is yet to have another severe asthma attack, she said, and she has been able to reduce the number of prescription medications she takes. “I was actually able to take my eldest granddaughter to find a homecoming dress. I only had to sit down once,” she said, smiling, “since my granddaughter is still a bit more energetic than me. But being able to watch her try on and pick out dresses was special, and now that’s a memory we can share.”
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