The Facebook group called Lung Valves For Friends has loads of info about valves. It's a non-invasive procedure worth checking out.

I have never been on one of these queztion and answer pages and have been reading all the questions with interest I have COPD diagnosed when I was 20 I have always managed it well until 2012 when I had a virus and never really recovered.I had a lung reduction via invasive surgery which lasted about 2 years then I had 8 valves which were a God send didn't cure but gave me a second wind so to speak i have now had them removed and am now going through test to see if I meet the criteria for steam therapy I have been accepted for lung transplant but they want to leave me as long as they can as they have stated that transplanted organs have a shelf life. I am 55 now and finding it hard to exercise due to my illness and my wieght is creeping up i fear i will lose the opportunity for transplant if i put on too much weight. I though i would just share my story with readers. As I find this site very informative thankyou.

Kenneth, I think any possibility of improvement in breathing is worth checking out. If you're in NJ, I would suggest that you talk about Temple as the center where you could be tested. Dr. Jerry Criner is one of the leader in working with the valves and was involved in the clinical trial that resulted in the valves being approved by the FDA. His practice has lots of experience.

The testing is really a one-time thing, unless they find that there's something going on at that time that can be fixed. Some of the things they are looking for are structural in the lungs and you can't control or change that. So if you're tested and are at the peak of health and don't qualify, that would be the end, unless you were determined to be so healthy that the valves would not provide significant improvement. Then you could be tested again.

Thanks, I'm going to ask my lung doc. March 17 at Gainsville VA. I found out they do the valve treatment across the street from the VA, at UF Hospt. I find any info on this treatment or if it helps, I'll let you know.

@A MyCOPDTeam Member I usually get scans or spiro tests , 6 minute walk test , every 90 days at National Jewish , it is usually an all day affair , including a visit with cardiologist and or pulmonologist , that of course ends with a visit to the vampires for a blood draw . NJ is the top lung research hospital on the planet I believe .

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