Author
Markus Bauer, as appeared in Alpha1 Journal 1/2025.
The headline begins, so to speak, at the end of the story. But let's start at the beginning. Thanks to the fantastic organization of our self-help group here in the north, a patient day took place in Hamburg on September 21, 2024.
A key focus was the lecture by Prof. Dr. med. Ralf Eberhardt from the Asklepios Clinic in Hamburg-Barmbek. His lecture was on "Interventional Bronchoscopy – Bronchoscopic Valve Implantation." It sounds complicated, but Prof. Eberhardt's presentation made it understandable and clearer to me. There was also time for informal discussions, and I decided that very day to pursue this topic further.
In October 2024, I had an appointment with my pulmonologist in Hamburg, and he supported my plan. So I received a referral, and both my doctor and I contacted Professor Eberhardt. He called me very quickly, and we scheduled an appointment for the inpatient preliminary examinations in November 2024. I stayed there for three nights, and many tests were performed, including a CT scan and a bronchoscopy.
It became clear here (as the professor had apparently already observed in several Alpha patients) that my right middle lobe was particularly affected. This area was therefore identified as the target for valve implantation. However, I still had to wait for a specific evaluation of the CT scan, and subsequently, I was sent to the Asklepios Clinic in Hamburg-Harburg for a special nuclear medicine examination.
Once everything was gathered and I apparently had no tissue bridges from the middle lobe to any of the other lung lobes, Professor Eberhardt called me again; this time he could offer me the procedure. I gladly accepted, and we scheduled an appointment for mid-February 2025.
I am somewhat more resilient and recover from shortness of breath much faster than before.
So the day finally arrived. After some examinations on the first day in the hospital, the procedure was performed by Professor Eberhardt himself the following day – even under general anesthesia. The procedure only took a few minutes, and I was quickly awake and physically fit again afterward. The dosage of the anesthesia is apparently very well adjusted to the brevity of the procedure. Thus, I was soon back in my room. On that day and the next, I had slight difficulty swallowing, probably from the tube, but it really wasn't a problem. A short time later, Professor Eberhardt visited me. I heard that everything had gone well and that I now had a larger valve in front of the middle lobe. Lying on my back, I could already feel that I hadn't been breathing in that area before.
The more active I became again, the more I started to feel a slight difference. The procedure had taken place on Wednesday, and a follow-up X-ray was done that same day. On Friday, I had another X-ray and also my first lung function test since the procedure. The X-rays showed that the middle lobe had shrunk, and the test also showed somewhat better hyperinflation values. Due to the fairly high risk of a pneumothorax after the procedure (because the other lungs have more space and can expand), I stayed in the hospital for another three nights. But everything went smoothly.
So, back to everyday life to see if and how things had changed. I quickly noticed that I felt, and still feel, somewhat better. Of course, the lung is still damaged, just like before, but by separating the most severely damaged area and thus shifting the focus to the rest, I feel better. I have a bit more stamina and recover much faster from shortness of breath than before. My partner also always says that we now have to stop for breather far less often when we go for walks together. It's the little things, and overall, I'm glad I went down this path. Initial follow-up examinations with the pulmonologist and in March at Barmbek Hospital with Prof. Eberhardt confirm this. As I said, no fundamental change. For example, I walked the exact same distance in the 6-minute walk test before and after the procedure. It hasn't increased. But it was a bit easier afterward, and the lung function tests continue to show a noticeable improvement in hyperinflation values.
Sure, for example, the FEV1 is almost unchanged, but that was to be expected in my view. The next examination with Prof. Eberhardt will be in May, then also with a CT scan. The time after the surgery is still a process; it's quite possible that it will even improve.
I can only say that for me it was the right decision to achieve a noticeable effect through this ultimately minor endoscopic procedure. Thank you to Prof. Eberhardt and thank you to our support group for this important impetus.
Here is a link to an explanatory video with Prof. Eberhardt on this topic:
