Endobronchial valve

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Endobronchial valve

The endobronchial valve is a medical device researched and developed in Russia, used in treatment of tuberculosis and its complications. It is a one-way valve designerd to be installed in a bronchus. It causes hypoventilation of the affected segment of a lung and preserves the drainage function of the blocked bronchus and the tissue-destruction cavity. The valve lets air and sputum and other bronchial secretion go out of the lung during abrupt expiration and coughing, but lets nothing back in during inspiration.^[1]

The endobronchial valve has these features:

minimally invasive – no surgical incision;
procedure of installation of the valve lasts about five minutes;
intended to reduce acute hyperinflation;
flexible – adapts to the variable size and shape of the airway;
ability to “stage” procedure and treat conservatively;
reversible – valves are designed to be removable post implantation;
increased ability to carry out daily activities;
improved exercise tolerance;
increased ventilation to healthier portions of the lung.

Phthisiologists have used one-way endobronchial valves since 1999 in treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) and its complications. In the U.S. they have been used in the treatment of emphysema patients.^[2]^[3]