Providence Hospitals Memorial Campus is proud to have performed El Paso’s first successful pioneering lung surgery using the Zephyr valve procedure to treat patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema.
Zephyr Valve Therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows the physician to place one or more small valves in the airways, releasing trapped air pockets to help patients breathe easier and do more without the many risks associated with major surgery. Emphysema is a form of COPD in which the air sacs in the lungs become weak or rupture, causing them to not work properly and air being trapped in damaged areas.
“We are excited to bring this technology and treatment to El Paso to provide our patients with better treatment options and improve their quality of life,” said Dr. Adolfo Anchondo, a pulmonology and critical care specialist who performed the first procedure. “For many of our patients who suffer from severe emphysema or COPD, we see that they are very limited in the activities they can do due to the severity this disease has on their body; this procedure ultimately gives us the best treatment option and helps restore breathing.”
More than 15 million Americans have COPD, and 3.5 million of them have emphysema. Despite the use of COPD medications, more than a million patients with emphysema continue to experience symptoms of hyperinflation, in which air is trapped in the lungs and prevents new air from entering, causing severe breathing difficulties. Breathing becomes inefficient and patients must work very hard just to breathe, making normal activities such as walking, eating, or even bathing difficult. There are several treatment options for most emphysema patients, and there is no cure.
“Congratulations, doctor. Anchondo and the entire team have reached this milestone — it has been a long journey to get this much needed procedure done in El Paso,” said Rob J. Anderson, CEO of The Hospitals of Providence Memorial Campus. “We remain committed to advancing and expanding treatment options for our community so that patients can get the high-quality care they deserve close to home.”
About Providence Hospitals
Providence hospitals cover the El Paso region, including West Texas and Southern New Mexico. The system includes emergency departments: Memorial Campus, Providence Children’s Hospital, Sierra Campus, East Campus, Transmountain Campus, Specialty Campus, Horizon City Campus, and Northeast Campus; Centers for diagnostic imaging, including a specialized pediatric room; Montwood ER and Edgemere ER; the Paso del Norte and El Paso Day Surgery Centers and the El Paso Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center; Wound Healing Center; Center of veins: inpatient rehabilitation program; Outpatient Therapy Centers; Weight Loss Center East and West. Providence Hospitals is dedicated to continuing over 100 years of commitment to the El Paso community. For more information visit TheHospitalsOfProvidence.com. ###
