Q: I am writing this for my father who is 65 years old. He is suffering from acute COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. He is currently taking inhalers, home oxygen, nebuliser and steroid medicines (Omnocortil and Theophyllin) for treatment but there seems to be little improvement in the symptoms. He is not able to walk for even a minute now, because of the condition. Doctors say that only 30% of his lungs are working. Given this background, I would like to know whether this condition can be treated more effectively in India or abroad. How effective is LVRS surgery? Are there any other options, besides the ones he is currently taking for treatment of COPD. He got this through smoking, which he has stopped 4 years back.

A:If your fathers lung function is indeed that poor and a high resolution CT scan of the thorax does not show any large emphysematous areas then this is the only treatment and oxygen is probably the most important part of therapy. LVRS is useful only if there are large bullae compromising the normal lung tissue.