title: Critical review of bronchial thermoplasty: where should it fit into asthma therapy?
abstract: Bronchial thermoplasty is a device-based therapy for treatment of severe refractory asthma that uses radiofrequency energy to reduce airway smooth muscle and decrease bronchoconstriction. BT improves quality of life and decreases the rate of severe exacerbations with no known major long-term complications. The effectiveness of bronchial thermoplasty persists at least 5 years after the treatment is completed. Further investigation is needed to better define the specific subpopulation of patients with severe asthma who would best benefit from this treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8052, 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO, 63110-1093, USA, asheshad@dom.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheshadri
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000601:surgery*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000601:surgery*; D016084:Bronchoconstriction; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D006801:Humans; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life