Surgical lung volume reduction eligibility in an emphysema patient pool referred for endoscopic treatment

This study evaluated whether patients referred for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) among severe emphysema patients would also be eligible for lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). Applying strict LVRS criteria to 1030 patients in the Groningen severe COPD cohort, 193 (19%) met quantitative criteria. After visual chest CT assessment, 120 (12%) were confirmed as ultimately eligible for LVRS. Main exclusion factors were absence of surgically approachable target zones (18%) and presence of bronchiectasis (10%). Among eligible patients, 55 (46%) had already received BLVR treatment. The study utilized commercial software including Coreline® AVIEW COPD (Coreline Soft, South Korea) for emphysema quantification. In conclusion, providing LVRS alongside BLVR can double therapeutic options.