Bruce’s Story
“It truly feels like the clock has been turned back and I plan on taking full advantage of it!”
Procedure Details:
Age at Treatment: 69
Date of Procedure: May 4, 2021
Hospital: St. Joseph’s Hospital – Phoenix, AZ
Hometown: Chandler, AZ
Life Before Zephyr® Valves:
As a parent of five children, life has always been busy. My youngest daughter has Cerebral Palsy which as any parent of a child with special needs knows, caring for her is a full-time job. My wife, Nancy, and I do everything as a team but as my COPD worsened, that balance started to shift. It finally got to a point where Nancy had to take care of the kids and me. She is the love of my life and it really bothered me watching her turn into my caregiver — I knew I needed to make a change.
I found a group on Facebook called “Lung Valves for Friends” and I read dozens of stories of people like me, with my condition, who were treated with the Zephyr Valves. Many said that it was an easy process, the recovery was minimal, but best of all they were back to living life. The comments on people’s stories were, for the most part, positive and supportive, but thinking about going through with the procedure still made me nervous. I didn’t know anyone personally who had been through the treatment, and I couldn’t keep my mind from thinking about the worst-case scenario. But the other thought I knew I did not want in the back of my mind was the “what if,” had I never explored the option.
My pulmonologist brought up the Zephyr Valves to me and said I would need to go through some testing to make sure I was a candidate. Since he did not perform the procedure, I was referred to Dr. Ali Saeed at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. What I liked the most about Dr. Saeed was how open and upfront he was with me. Any question I asked, he gave me an honest answer, even if it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. That made Nancy and me feel more and more comfortable in moving forward.
How I feel after having the Zephyr Valves compared to before is like night and day. I can carry things up the stairs again without becoming short of breath. I recently went to Tennessee to clean out my mom’s house. My wife Julie said, “There is no way you could have done that a year ago.”
– Ralph
Ralph-Fugate-2
I was scheduled in October of 2020 to get my valves, but my insurance initially denied me coverage for the procedure. After appeals and an independent review of the case, I finally got approval for coverage. I am so grateful for the Pulmonx Patient Reimbursement Support program for helping me with this.
I know that there is no cure for emphysema, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. I was looking to get back to what made me, me — being a loving husband, father, and grandfather.’”
– Bruce
Life After Zephyr® Valves:
I was diagnosed with severe COPD 10 years ago, and now that I have my valves, it feels as though my clock has been set back years. When I woke up from the anesthesia it felt like a weight was lifted off my chest. A big fear I had going into the procedure was getting a pneumothorax, but after the standard three days of observation, I was able to leave free-and-clear of complications.
I felt such a massive improvement in my breathing! One of the pulmonary function tests used for qualification for the valves is the 6-minute walk. Before my valves I was only able to walk 300 meters. Just six weeks after treatment I was able to walk 425 meters! I was ready to call Tokyo for the Olympic games. I bought a treadmill that I walk on almost every day. I still use some inhalers and I use oxygen only at night.
I know that there is no cure for emphysema, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. I was looking to get back to what made me, me — being a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Now, I am back to enjoying the simple things, like going to the grocery store, helping Nancy clean the house, and walking the dog. I am even thinking about crossing some things off my bucket list like traveling with my children and grandchildren and taking my wife to Vegas.
It truly feels like the clock has been turned back and I plan on taking full advantage of it!
Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.
US-EN-861-v1
What is the Zephyr Valve procedure?
The Zephyr Valve has been shown to help patients breathe easier, do more, and enjoy life.1
Despite taking the best available medications, many patients with severe COPD/emphysema suffer from hyperinflation of their lungs where air becomes trapped in the lungs, preventing fresh air from entering and thereby causing severe shortness of breath.
The Zephyr Valves reduce lung hyperinflation by allowing trapped air to escape and preventing new air from entering that diseased lobe. This allows the healthier parts of the lung to function better and results in patients being able to breathe more easily and experience less shortness of breath.
The valves are placed via bronchoscopy, with no incision or cutting, so these benefits are achieved without the risks of traditional surgical options. The procedure is usually complete in under an hour.
Complications of the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve treatment can include but are not limited to pneumothorax, worsening of COPD symptoms, hemoptysis, pneumonia, dyspnea and, in rare cases, death.
Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.
US-EN-861-v1
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