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Rationale: Interlobar fissure integrity has previously correlated with responsiveness to endobronchial lung volume reduction therapy in patients with advanced emphysema. Objective: This report summarises the effect of interlobar fissure integrity on responses to treatment with a novel endoscopic tissue sealant (AeriSeal emphysematous lung sealant (ELS)) that collapses hyperinflated lung. Methods: Fissure status, lung volumes, tissue density and disease heterogeneity were assessed radiographically in 28 patients (age 63.4±6.1 years, 20 men) with advanced upper lobe predominant emphysema (density=888.0±18.2 HU; upper lobe tissue density < -950 = 2.62±1.74). Post-treatment changes in lobar volume, pulmonary function, exercise capacity, symptoms and quality of life were compared in patients with complete fissures (CFs) and incomplete fissures (ICFs). Results: ELS therapy reduced lung volumes independent of interlobar fissure integrity. In patients with upper lobe emphysema and CFs, lobar volume reduction was 214±127 ml/treatment compared with 256±175 ml/treatment in those with ICFs (p=0.453). Reductions in gas trapping and improvements in spirometry, functional capacity and quality of life were similar in patients with CFs and ICFs. Stepwise multiple regression modelling confirmed that fissure integrity did not contribute to post-treatment changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s, residual volume/total lung capacity ratio or lobar volume measured by CT analysis. Conclusions: Interlobar fissure integrity, an important determinant of responsiveness to endobronchial lung volume reduction therapy in prior studies, had minimal impact on physiological and functional responses to ELS therapy in patients with severe upper lobe predominant emphysema. Clinical Trial Registration Number: Registration numbers for trials contributing to datasets in this report: NCT00884962, NCT01051258 and NCT01181466. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Biologic lung volume reduction (BioLVR) is a new endobronchial treatment for advanced emphysema that reduces lung volume through tissue remodeling. Objectives: Assess the safety and therapeutic dose of BioLVR hydrogel in upper lobe predominant emphysema. Methods: Open-labeled, multicenter phase 2 dose-ranging studies were performed with BioLVR hydrogel administered to eight subsegmental sites (four in each upper lobe) involving: (1) low-dose treatment (n = 28) with 10 ml per site (LD); and (2) high-dose treatment (n = 22) with 20 ml per site (HD). Safety was assessed by the incidence of serious medical complications. Efficacy was assessed by change from baseline in pulmonary function tests, dyspnea score, 6-minute walk distance, and health-related quality of life. Measurements and Main Results: After treatment there were no deaths and four serious treatment-related complications. A reduction in residual volume to TLC ratio at 12 weeks (primary efficacy outcome) was achieved with both LD (-6.4 +/- 9.3%; P = 0.002) and HD (-5.5 +/- 9.4%; P = 0.028) treatments. Improvements in pulmonary function in HD (6 mo: DeltaFEV(1) = +15.6%; P = 0.002; DeltaFVC = +9.1%; P = 0.034) were greater than in LD patients (6 mo: DeltaFEV(1) = +6.7%; P = 0.021; DeltaFVC = +5.1%; P = 0.139). LD- and HD-treated groups both demonstrated improved symptom scores and health-related quality of life. Conclusions: BioLVR improves physiology and functional outcomes up to 6 months with an acceptable safety profile in upper lobe predominant emphysema. Overall improvement was greater and responses more durable with 20 ml per site than 10 ml per site dosing. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 00435253 and NCT 00515164). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A study was undertaken to evaluate whether adults differ from children in the indications and outcome of diaphragmatic plication following phrenic nerve injury.Methods: A retrospective study was performed of 21 patients, 10 below the age of 5 and 11 older than 37 years. The indication for surgery for all the children was failure to wean from ventilatory support. The indications for surgery in the adult group were ventilator dependency (n=4) and symptomatic dyspnoea (n=7). All patients had at least one imaging study confirming diaphragmatic paralysis. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) dyspnoea scale, pulmonary function tests, and quantitative pulmonary perfusion scans were used as evaluation parameters. At surgery the diaphragm was centrally plicated.Results: One child died immediately after surgery due to irreversible heart failure and two children died within 2 months of surgery from ongoing complications of their original condition. These three patients were considered as selection failures. Seven children were weaned from ventilatory support within a median of 4 days (range 2-140). Only one of four ventilated adults was successfully weaned. Seven adults who underwent surgery for chronic symptoms had a marked subjective improvement of 2-3 levels in the ATS dyspnoea scale. Pulmonary function studies in the seven symptomatic adults showed a 40% improvement above baseline. Severely asymmetrical perfusion scans reverted to a normal pattern after plication.Conclusions: Diaphragmatic plication offers a significant benefit to children with diaphragmatic paralysis and should be performed early to facilitate weaning from mechanical ventilation. While plication is of limited benefit in weaning ventilated adults, it results in significant subjective and objective lifetime improvement in non-ventilated symptomatic adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A study was undertaken to evaluate whether adults differ from children in the indications and outcome of diaphragmatic plication following phrenic nerve injury. Methods: A retrospective study was performed of 21 patients, 10 below the age of 5 and 11 older than 37 years. The indication for surgery for all the children was failure to wean from ventilatory support. The indications for surgery in the adult group were ventilator dependency (n=4) and symptomatic dyspnoea (n=7). All patients had at Least one imaging study confirming diaphragmatic paralysis. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) dyspnoea scale, pulmonary function tests, and quantitative pulmonary perfusion scans were used as evaluation parameters. At surgery the diaphragm was centrally plicated. Results: One child died immediately after surgery due to irreversible heart failure and two children died within 2 months of surgery from ongoing complications of their original condition. These three patients were considered as selection failures. Seven children were weaned from ventilatory support within a median of 4 days (range 2-140). Only one of four ventilated adults was successfully weaned. Seven adults who underwent surgery for chronic symptoms had a marked subjective improvement of 2-3 levels in the ATS dyspnoea scale. Pulmonary function studies in the seven symptomatic adults showed a 40% improvement above baseline. Severely asymmetrical perfusion scans reverted to a normal pattern after plication. Conclusions: Diaphragmatic plication offers a significant benefit to children with diaphragmatic paralysis and should be performed early to facilitate weaning from mechanical ventilation. While plication is of limited benefit in weaning ventilated adults, it results in significant subjective and objective lifetime improvement in non-ventilated symptomatic adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]