P&S Journal: Winter 1996, Vol.16, No.1 Lung Reduction Surgery
Some emphysema patients are able to breathe easier thanks to Dr.
Mark Ginsburg, assistant clinical professor of surgery and
associate director of general thoracic surgery. For the
estimated 1.93 million Americans afflicted with emphysema, the
simple function of breathing becomes increasingly difficult
until each breath is a laborious chore. As the disease
progresses, patients can no longer engage in even minor physical
activities, and they eventually become dependent on supplemental
oxygen. Currently, the only treatment physicians can offer
emphysema patients is palliative: bronchodilators, steroids, and
oxygen. Some younger patients (under age 65) may be candidates
for lung transplants. In 1994, Dr. Ginsburg became one of a few
surgeons in the country to use a new surgical technique to
remove damaged portions of emphysema patients' lungs, thus
improving lung function and quality of life for many patients.
The technique was first introduced in the