Patients who had emphysema predominantly

NETT is a five-year, multicenter, randomized trial evaluation of the safety and efficacy of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in patients with severe emphysema. As many as two million Americans are estimated to emphysema, chronic disabling lung conditions. LVRS has been suggested as a means to treat patients with severe emphysema in NETT. Insufficient evidence regarding safety and efficacy of the procedure led to a landmark collaboration between the three federal agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Agency for Health 'I and the quality of research. NETT is a result of this collaboration, and can be a model for future evaluation of new medical interventions, with great potential, medical and financial implications. NETT results will help patients lasix generic no prescription and their physicians make informed decisions about LVRS. On average, NETT found that patients with severe emphysema who undergo LVRS and medical therapy are likely to work better and do not face an increased risk of death compared with those receiving only drug therapy. The results of LVRS significantly differ between different patient populations, however. Two factors were found to predict outcome of surgery in individual patients: the distribution of emphysema patients before surgery and after pulmonary rehabilitation exercise tolerance. Patients who had emphysema predominantly in the upper lobes and the capacity of which was low after pulmonary rehabilitation, is likely to perform better in two years after surgery, those who received only drug therapy. These patients also seem to have an advantage in survival with LVRS. On the other hand, NETT find characteristics of patients who are poorly suited for LVRS. Patients with emphysema is concentrated in the upper lobes of the lungs and he had a great exercise tolerance (on average or more features than other participants NETT), probably get little or no benefit from surgery and were exposed to increased risk of complications and death related to the operation. A separate prospective cost-effectiveness analysis LVRS found that the cost of surgical lung volume reduction significant in the short term, but in the long run, the procedure may be cost effective if the benefits observed in NETT supported. Department of Pulmonology and resuscitation council was the major participant in the NETT. Although not all patients with severe emphysema benefit from LVRS, NETT defined characteristics, which include both positive and negative consequences for LVRS. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) currently discusses and makes decisions LVRS coverage over the next few months. If the decision is positive, patients with severe emphysema will have new opportunities to treat their debilitating conditions. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease clinic of pulmonary and intensive care will be happy to evaluate patients with severe emphysema for LVRS after CMS coverage decision is made. .