Lung Surgery for Emphysema Improves Life
Lung Surgery for Emphysema Improves Life
Study Seeks to End Controversy Over Lung Volume Reduction Surgery
At that point, Medicare and the government decided to jointly fund research to determine once and for all if lung volume reduction surgery was worth the risk. Naunheim and others unveiled the results before a standing-room-only crowd at the American Thoracic Society meeting. The study also appears in the May 22 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Though the quality-of-life improvements can be considered good news for emphysema patients, the benefit has a high price. The cost for lung volume reduction surgery and six months of postoperative treatment averaged just under $63,000 per patient, while six months of medical treatment costs $13,000. Naunheim says surgical costs are so high because patients are often hospitalized for long periods or are sent to rehab facilities before returning home. There is no doubt that recovery is long and requires a lot of work on the part of the patient and doctors, he says.
Medicare stopped paying for lung volume reduction surgery in late 1995, says Steven Sheingold, PhD, who represented Medicare at a news conference where the results were discussed. He tells WebMD that Medicare is already considering reinstating payment but says that it will take about three months before a decision is made.
Lung Surgery for Emphysema Improves Life
Study Seeks to End Controversy Over Lung Volume Reduction Surgery
At that point, Medicare and the government decided to jointly fund research to determine once and for all if lung volume reduction surgery was worth the risk. Naunheim and others unveiled the results before a standing-room-only crowd at the American Thoracic Society meeting. The study also appears in the May 22 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Though the quality-of-life improvements can be considered good news for emphysema patients, the benefit has a high price. The cost for lung volume reduction surgery and six months of postoperative treatment averaged just under $63,000 per patient, while six months of medical treatment costs $13,000. Naunheim says surgical costs are so high because patients are often hospitalized for long periods or are sent to rehab facilities before returning home. There is no doubt that recovery is long and requires a lot of work on the part of the patient and doctors, he says.
Medicare stopped paying for lung volume reduction surgery in late 1995, says Steven Sheingold, PhD, who represented Medicare at a news conference where the results were discussed. He tells WebMD that Medicare is already considering reinstating payment but says that it will take about three months before a decision is made.
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