title: Bronchial thermoplasty.
abstract: Bronchial thermoplasty is a relatively new therapy for the management of severe asthma. It involves the direct bronchoscopic application of thermal energy to airways by a catheter-directed expandable basket. The airways of the lower and upper lobes are treated in 3 separate sessions spaced 3 weeks apart. The therapy targets airway smooth muscle, with studies showing a decrease in airway smooth muscle after bronchial thermoplasty therapy. After therapy, an improvement in quality of life and decrease in asthma exacerbations can be expected. Adverse events can occur with bronchial thermoplasty and careful patient selection is critical to ensure benefits outweigh the potential risks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kynyk
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benninger
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Airway smooth muscle; Bronchial thermoplasty; Severe asthma