Bronchial thermoplasty delivered by the Alair® System is a new, minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of severe asthma in adults. If you have patients who you believe may benefit from this procedure, the information in this section will help you identify the appropriate bronchial thermoplasty candidates.
Who is appropriate for bronchial thermoplasty?
- Adult, severe persistent asthmatics (= 18 years old)
- Patients whose asthma is not well controlled despite taking a combination of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) such as Advair® or Symbicort®
- Patients able to safely undergo bronchoscopy per hospital guidelines
Who is not appropriate for bronchial thermoplasty?
- Patients that have a pacemaker, internal defibrillator, or other implantable electronic device
- Patients that have a known sensitivity to medications required to perform bronchoscopy, including lidocaine, atropine, and benzodiazepines
- Patient that have previously been treated with the Alair® System
Bronchial thermoplasty should be delayed when any of the following conditions are present:
- Active respiratory infection
- Asthma exacerbation or changing dose of systemic corticosteroids (up or down) in the past 14 days
- Known coagulopathy
- Patient is unable to stop taking anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) before the procedure with physician guidance
Who will perform bronchial thermoplasty?
- Pulmonologists who are experienced in bronchoscopy
- Bronchial thermoplasty training will be required:
- Review of Catheter Instructions for Use and Controller OperatorÂ’s Manual
- Guided didactic instruction in computer simulation-based Bronchial Thermoplasty Learning Center
- Detailed in-service training of the Alair® System
- Hands-on training with Alair® System in a lung model prior to initial cases
- Proctoring of initial cases by Asthmatx Health Care Industry Representative (HCIR)
- Ongoing support of cases when requested
Where will the procedure be performed?
- At facilities that are appropriately equipped to perform bronchoscopy and are equipped to handle respiratory emergencies
Review a complete list of indications for use, contraindications and precautions.
If you would like to refer a patient for the bronchial thermoplasty treatment or are interested in performing the procedure yourself, please complete the Request Information form.
Advair is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline, Inc.
Symbicort is a registered trademark of AstraZeneca, Inc.
