ABSTRACT
I. Introduction Bronchial thermoplasty is an investigational bronchoscopic procedure for the treatment of asthma designed to reduce the amount of airway smooth muscle (ASM) (1) with the goal of decreasing bronchoconstriction and the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms (2). Bronchial thermoplasty is achieved by the controlled delivery of radiofrequency (RF) electrical energy to the airway wall via a special catheter electrode. This heats the airway wall to a specific target temperature, which ultimately leads to a decrease in ASM without airway perforation or stenosis. Energy is systematically applied to the majority of airways between 3 and 10 mm in diameter throughout the tracheobronchial tree.
