JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Asthma patients may have a chance to breathe easier. There's a new treatment that's already changing lives.
"Just think about it, I'm sitting down and I'm suffocating. Taking a shower is very hard for me. Walking from here to the corner, I can hardly make it," said asthma patient, Nora Gordils.
Gordils has severe asthma. At least that was the case up until a month ago when her doctor suggested something new. "I feel much better. I really feel much better. I can do more activities. I can breath easier," she said.
The treatment is called Bronchial Thermoplasty. Florida pulmonologist, Dr. Alaa El-Gendy says it's a revolutionary procedure. "I feel the satisfaction. I've finally been able to bring the joy to a patient who's joyful but has not been able to do a lot with her life."
Bronchial Thermoplasty works by delivering heat into sections of the lungs though this special catheter. "The heat stops these airways from tightening up during asthma attacks. The end result is more air entering the lungs which means fewer and less severe asthma attacks," Dr. El-Gendy explained.
Gordils said she has been waiting 25 years for a procedure like this."It feels like I'm back again to normal. I feel much better now."
The procedure is completed in three separate sessions, each targeting different area of the lungs. The sessions are scheduled three weeks apart to allow recovery time.
Copyright 2012 MSNewsNow. All rights reserved.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
