COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Surgery

Lung surgery is rarely used to treat COPD.Surgery is never the first treatment choice and is only considered for people who have severe COPD that has not improved with other treatment.

Surgery Choices

Lung volume reduction surgery	Removes part of one or both lungs, making room for the rest of the lung to work better. It is used only for severe emphysema.7
Lung transplant	Replaces a sick lung with a healthy lung from a person who has just died.
Bullectomy	Removes the part of the lung that has been damaged by the formation of large, air-filled sacs called bullae. This surgery is rarely done.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS Cynthia Tank	Last Updated: May 8, 2008
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Ken Y. Yoneda, MD - Pulmonology
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