ABSTRACT
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a category of diseases with a varying
pathophysiological basis but with chronic airflow obstruction and hyperinflation (1).
Over the past 50 years, many advances have been made in the management of COPD.
The Global Initiative on Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) committee (2) and the
American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (3) have published detailed,
evidence-based reviews of management, providing stepped-care algorithms for
pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapy. Despite these advances, many patients
continue to experience incapacitating breathlessness and exercise limitation. Over the
past several decades, this has led to numerous surgical approaches to ameliorate
symptoms in these patients.
