Mayo Clinic Q&A: Patients with Advanced Emphysema may Benefit from Lung Volume Reduction
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: How do doctors determine who is a good candidate for minimally invasive lung volume reduction to treat emphysema? Is it possible to have it done if I have only mild emphysema to slow the disease’s progression? ANSWER: The procedure you mention is intended for people who have advanced emphysema that no longer […]
Cystic Fibrosis Often Identified Before Symptoms Start
Mayo Clinic Q&A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Recently, my niece was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 16. No one else in our family has been diagnosed with it, and, until recently, she didn’t have any symptoms. Now I’m worried about my kids, ages 4 and 6. Their newborn screenings for cystic fibrosis were negative, but should […]
Help slow lung scarring in pulmonary fibrosis
Q: I was recently diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. I realize I won’t be cured. But what might I do to help prevent it from getting worse? A: Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which there is significant or widespread scarring in the lungs. The disease has many causes or triggers. These include medications, immune diseases […]
Up for Grabs
An adventure through the evolving science of organ transplantation By David Himmel It is late morning in early May 2014. Ozzie Rivero’s pager buzzes. The message reads: “heart offer.” Rivero takes action. Within the next 24 hours, he will be part of a harried effort to retrieve a still-beating heart from a deceased donor’s body […]
Diagnosed with Lung Cancer: Questions To Ask Your Doctor
Dr. Malcolm DeCamp, professor and chief of the division of thoracic surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, encourages lung cancer patients to approach their doctors with the following queries: What stage is my cancer, and how was that confirmed? Keep in mind that pathologic staging (which may involve biopsies of lymph nodes or […]
