Lung reduction surgery

@brisgrammy What problem is the procedure intended to correct?

I’m also interested in knowing what your medical problem is, I have never heard of lung reduction surgery, with lung cancer they remove a lobe or sometimes a wedge to get rid of the cancer which reduces the lung and being one of the best treatment option to combat the disease.

I have Emphysema/COPD
I am on oxygen and meds for my condition. I was a prime candidate for the Zephyr Valves .I wasn’t able to have them once I was in the operating room…The lung volume
Reduction surgery , they go in and
Remove 20-30percent of the diseased tissue . Mine is in my upper lobes .

@sueinmn
To help me have a better quality of life, breath better and be able to have more of a life than I do right now.. Some patients have been able to come off 0xygen after a bit
I have Emphazema/ COPD

Does the lung reduction surgery provides a cure of NTM?

@ahoura9 In some cases, where the infection is isolated to a single lobe (which is not common) a resection can cure the infection. This used to be done more frequently in the past for treatment-resistant NTM, but with new tools like additional antibiotics and better sensitivity testing it is quite rarely used.

@sueinmn thank you for your response. I am concerned about the side effects of long antibiotic use. You seem to have a good grasp on this issue. I am overwhelmed by this and trying to figure out the best way to deal with this new reality.

@ahoura9 Fear of antibiotic therapy for NTM has been "fed" by the internet, out of proportion to the actual risks. Remember, only those who have issues with a particular therapy tend to post about it, while those who tolerate go quietly about their business. There are cautions given while using the meds to recognize serious side effects early and deal with them.

For example, "in the moment" while I was on antibiotics for almost 2 years, I had some bad times. I resorted to this group for help with weight loss, gastric issues, and fatigue. Within a year after stopping, all signs of the side effects were gone.

Think about NTM treatment this way - doctors approach treating infections and other conditions starting with the least invasive/destructive therapy or protocol, and advance to other methods as more conservative measures fail.

Antibiotic therapy, even long-term, has far fewer risks than surgery.

Both lung reduction and resection are MAJOR surgeries which carry significant risks for complication and infection. And according to my RN daughter, you may still need to take antibiotics for weeks to months afterwards.

If you cannot tolerate the antibiotics AND the infection is progressing, that is when a competent pulmonologist may consider referring you for surgery.

Do you have NTM mow, and if so, have your doctors tried "watch and wait" with airway clearance to see if your body can manage the infection on its own?

I am having bronchoscopy next week to see if there is an infection then go from there. Not sure how I got this infection in the first place. Your experience with antibiotic use is reassuring. I feel comfortable to have you as my mentor in this journey.