Each patient's medical condition, risk factors, past treatment history, and chances for recovery are carefully reviewed. Lung volume reduction surgery is a major operation, requiring all the resources frequently available only at a major medical center such as Columbia-Presbyterian. This surgery is an innovative and complicated procedure done on patients with severely limited respiratory reserve. The recuperation period varies from person to person, but most patients remain in the hospital for two weeks following surgery. The patient then begins a regime of physical therapy and rehabilitation for several months.
Most patients experience a significant improvement in their quality of life.
They have less shortness of breath and decreased oxygen dependency. Post-operative rehabilitation, however, plays a crucial role in determining the extent of improvement. At this time, it is impossible to predict how much clinical improvement each patient will have, how soon the improvement will occur, or how long the improvement will last. How are patients selected for the procedure Patients who are severely limited by emphysema can contact the Jo-Ann F. LeBuhn Center directly or through their physician. They then complete a questionnaire regarding their condition, their current medication, their past surgeries, and the extent of their breathing difficulty.