Bronchial thermoplasty; a new treatment modality in asthma

Bronchial thermoplasty is a non-drug treatment modality for moderate-to-severe asthma that involves the delivery of radio frequency energy to the airway wall in a precisely controlled manner to reduce excessive airway smooth muscle. Bronchial thermoplasty is performed under conscious sedation and completed in three bronchoscopy sessions, each lasting less than one hour, and each spaced apart by about three weeks. Bronchial thermoplasty has been demonstrated to reduce severe exacerbations, emergency rooms visits for respiratory symptoms, and time lost from work, school and other daily activities and improve asthma control and quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. Adequate patient management is important for patient comfort and safety. In this review, we aim to discuss clinical studies, the evidence for the efficacy of bronchial thermoplasty, the importance of careful patient selection, patient preparation, patient management, procedure