SUMMIT & MORRISTOWN, N.J., – AUGUST 2024 – Two of Atlantic Health System’s hospitals, Overlook Medical Center in Summit and Morristown Medical Center, are helping people with severe COPD/emphysema to breathe easier without undergoing invasive surgery, by using a breakthrough device.
Pulmonologists at both hospitals have been trained to use Zephyr® Valves, a groundbreaking minimally-invasive treatment that works by releasing trapped air in damaged parts of the lung, while preventing new air from entering. This allows the healthier parts of the lungs to work more effectively.
Until now, patients who can be treated with Zephyr Valves could only be treated with medicines like inhalers or more invasive surgical procedures, including lung transplants and lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). However, treatment with bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) using Zephyr Valves, is usually complete in under an hour and allows patients to enjoy a better quality of life.1
“Patients with severe COPD and emphysema often struggle with each breath, even with medication and oxygen therapy, and relief is often elusive for them” said Christopher DeCotiis, MD, co-director of the interventional pulmonology program for Atlantic Health System, one of the pulmonologists leading the treatment with Zephyr Valves at Overlook and Morristown medical centers. “It is incredible to be able to not only offer these patients that sought-after relief, but also to be able to provide it in a minimally-invasive way.”
In addition to Dr. DeCotiis, use of the Zephyr is being led by his fellow co-director of interventional pulmonology, Bhavi Patel, MD, and pulmonologist Robert Restifo, DO.
Emphysema is a progressive and life-threatening lung disease, and a severe form of COPD (chronic pulmonary obstructive disease). There is no cure and patients live with severe shortness of breath that keeps them from doing simple daily activities like walking, or taking a shower, without pausing to catch their breath or resting. This extreme shortness of breath is caused when air becomes trapped in parts of the lung that are damaged by the disease. This trapped air causes the damaged areas of the lungs to get larger which puts pressure on the diaphragm and makes breathing difficult.
Using the Zephyr Valves, a physician places an average of 4 valves to occlude a hyperinflated part of the lung, allowing air to escape while blocking airflow into the treated part of the lung. This allows the healthier parts of the lungs to expand and relieves the pressure on the diaphragm, which decreases shortness of breath and makes breathing easier.
The Zephyr Valve was fast-tracked through the FDA’s “Breakthrough Device” designation due to the strong clinical data and significant patient need. As part of the supporting evidence for the FDA premarket approval, four randomized controlled clinical trials, including the US approval study, LIBERATE was conducted. Data from the study showed that implantation of the Zephyr Valves successfully reduced shortness of breath while improving lung function, exercise capacity, and quality of life.1 These benefits lasted at least one-year post-treatment for patients with severe emphysema.
Since 2007, more than 25,000 patients have been treated with The Zephyr Valve worldwide. The Zephyr Valve treatment is included in severe COPD and emphysema treatment recommendations issued by leading health organizations worldwide, including the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE) and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) which gives endobronchial valves a level ‘A’ evidence rating, the highest rating possible.
More about COPD and Emphysema
More than 15 million Americans suffer from COPD, and 3.5 million of those patients have emphysema.2 Despite using COPD medications, more than one million emphysema patients continue to suffer symptoms of hyperinflation, in which air becomes trapped in the lungs and prevents new air from coming in, causing severe shortness of breath.
For more information about Zephyr visit https://uspatients.pulmonx.com
- Criner G et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018; 198 (9): 1151–1164.
- American Lung Association. Trends in COPD (Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema): Morbidity and Mortality. March 2013.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 20,000 team members and 5,440 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.
The not-for-profit system offers more than 550 sites of care, including its seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and through its partnership with CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, NJ.
The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,700 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 27 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of six regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability, has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University, is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers, and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.