For those with severe asthma, the highest dose of standard
medications may not alleviate frequent and life-threatening asthma attacks. Few treatment options are available to adequately control the disease which
can have a significant impact on quality of life.
People who have asthma have more airway smooth-muscle tissue surrounding
their airways than those without asthma. During an asthma attack, this
excess tissue constricts the airways, making it harder to breathe. Asthma
medications help open up the airways, but may not always work well in people
with severe asthma.
What is Bronchial Thermoplasty?
Bronchial Thermoplasty (BT) is a procedure to reduce the smooth muscle
mass of the airway. With less smooth muscle, the airways constrict less,
reducing severe asthma attacks.
Delivered by the ALAIR™ System, Bronchial Thermoplasty (BT) is the first non-drug
treatment option for patients with severe asthma who are 18 years and
older and whose asthma is not well controlled by inhaled corticosteroids
and long-acting beta-agonists. This minimally invasive outpatient procedure
supplements conventional asthma drug treatments for better management of
the disease.
Backed by Clinical Results
The Asthma Intervention Research 2 (AIR2) trial, a multi-center, double-blind
randomized study, demonstrated that patients with severe asthma who were
treated with Bronchial Thermoplasty have significant improvement at one year
compared to patients who underwent bronchoscopy but did not receive the
active treatment. Reductions in asthma attacks and ER visits were shown to
extend through a 5-year follow-up period.
