Clinic Overview
Bronchoscopic treatment is performed in patients with chronic bronchitis caused by tobacco exposure, in whom narrowing of the airways and thickening of the goblet cells have been detected. By inserting a bronchoscope through the endotracheal tube, a scraping procedure known as desquamation using a COPD balloon is performed on the cell layer lining the inner surface of all accessible bronchi, primarily those ranging from 8 to 3 mm in diameter. In this procedure, COPD balloons selected to match the diameter of the bronchi are used.
The balloons are inflated and deflated at adjustable pressures and frequencies using an electronic pump, thereby scraping away the thickened inner lining of the bronchi and restoring it to its original thickness. The balloon, covered with a mesh that has an abrasive property, converts the thickened layer of goblet cells—which causes mucus production in the airways—into a foamy liquid, thereby restoring the bronchus to its original width. This foamy mucus is aspirated through the bronchoscope channel and expelled.
Using this method, all bronchi accessible via bronchoscopy in both lungs are cleared of the chronic bronchitis caused by smoking and the altered bronchial epithelial layer through the COPD balloon debridement procedure.