Bronchial Thermoplasty Performed

For the first time in the country, bronchial thermoplasty (BT) was performed on a patient suffering from drug-resistant asthma at Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, on Thursday. The procedure was conducted by Dr Atefeh Abedini and Dr Arda Kiani, two lung specialists at the hospital, IRNA reported. The surgery can effectively reduce the number of asthma attacks, which means less need for oral steroid treatment. BT involves the delivery of controlled, therapeutic radiofrequency energy to the airway wall, thus heating the tissue and reducing the amount of smooth muscle present in the wall. Three sessions are needed to complete the treatment and each session treats a different part of the airway. No incision is needed. BT is performed with a bronchoscope inserted through the nose or mouth. Currently, 8-10% of Iranian people suffer from asthma and 1% of them are resistant to drugs.