19. Severe COPD and Lung Volume Reduction

We are extremely excited for the third and final installment in our Pulm PEEPs and ATS Clinical Problems Assembly collaborative series on COPD. Today, we are joined by Drs. Jessica Bon, Michael Lester, and Niru Putcha to discuss severe COPD management and the role of lung volume reduction procedures. If you missed the first two parts of our series, make sure to check out episode 1 on COPD diagnosis and initial management, and episode 2 on COPD exacerbations.

Meet our Guests

Jessica Bon is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where she is also the Program Director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship. Her research and clinical interests focus on lung disease progression in COPD and she manages patients with difficult-to-treat and severe COPD and evaluates patients for lung volume reduction surgery. Jessica was the chair of the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly Programming Committee from 2021 – 2022.

Michael Lester is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Michael’s interests span both pulmonary and critical care medicine. He specializes in patients with advanced COPD and evaluation for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction surgery.

Niru Putcha is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and is an integral member and mentor in the Obstructive Lung Disease Group. Her research and clinical interests focus on the role of comorbidities on clinical outcomes in individuals with COPD. She also manages patients with difficult-to-treat and severe COPD and evaluates patients for lung volume reduction surgery. Niru is also the new chair of the ATS Clinical Problems Assembly Programming Committee.

Key Learning Points

Patients with advanced COPD should also be considered for lung transplantation. We will have an episode on lung transplant coming up soon!