Endobronchial valve deployment in severe α-1 antitrypsin deficiency emphysema: a case series.

Introduction: Patients with end-stage emphysema because of α-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency represent a challenging clinical management problem, and studies of volume reduction therapy to date have largely excluded these patients. We report the outcome of bronchoscopic volume reduction with the insertion of Emphasys endobronchial valves (Emphasys Medical, Redwood City, CA, USA) in six patients with end-stage emphysema because of AAT deficiency.

Case Series: Of 51 patients with end stage emphysema referred for transplantation, we studied six patients with AAT deficiency and utilized the BODE index and lung allocation score for survival estimation.