I think the success of the procedure depends a lot on how well the evaluation is actually performed and how well the patient "fits" the criteria. Not all pulmonologists are created equal, and not everyone responds quite like anyone else. I would ask lots of questions about how many of these procedures your surgeon has completed and what is the success ratio. There are some side effects that happen pretty frequently like pneumothoraxes and pneumonia; how many of those did your provider have and what were the results. Depending on the answers to your questions, you might want to talk with Jerry Criner at Temple for a comparison. Jerry's been doing these since before COVID and is very experienced.

I got 3 valves placed last June. The procedure and recovery were not a walk In the park. After 1 month I felt 30% better and PFTs showed an increase in lung capacity. 2 mo ago I started feeling worse again. Not sure why. Hopefully I will get back to feeling better again. The criteria and pre testing for valves is extensive . My Dr. said she rejects 75% of people who want valves as they don't qualify. Hope this is helpful and good luck!

@A MyCOPDTeam Member I had the valve put in i believe it was 4 of them .I had it done feb 6th got home felt really bad for the first few days then i felt pretty good after that but like you its been kinda up and down. I had the PFT test the other day waiting on the results. I was told about the same thing i was lucky to get them a lot of people get denied. So will see what happens never know unless you try. Take care. Ken

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A MyCOPDT...

I spent a number of hours and Medicare $$ but failed to pass the 10 criteria. I had 8 out of 10 and was very disappointed. Please let us know how it goes for you!