There are some unfortunate asthmatic patients who do not respond to treatment despite being regular. They constitute about 5% of the total asthmatic population. They are the group of people who resort to alternate medications and deteriorate in health and develop complications like COPD.

There has been a research on how to handle this group of patients. Some patients have very high levels of IgE indicative of atopy. This can be effectively treated by giving anti-IgE antibodies. This is an injectable method of treatment that ranges from 6 to 12 months. With the intensity and frequency of attacks comes down. The latest in these efforts is the development of a modality called Bronchial Thermoplasty.

This is based on the fact that Asthma causes severe smooth muscle hypertrophy leading to severe bronchospasm resulting in wheeze that does not get controlled or remains symptomatic. This in turn leads to severe wheezing necessitating frequent doctor visits and admissions.

Bronchial Thermoplasty generates heat through catheter and burns the smooth muscle in the Bronchi. This is done through a Bronchoscope in three sittings in three months. The results across the world are more than satisfactory and approved in many countries. Apollo hospitals, Chennai has brought this equipment to the Department of Respiratory Medicine.

Bronchial Thermoplasty reduces the severity, intensity, need for frequent admissions and steroid dependency. Thus, it makes the procedure a very useful therapeutic tool for severe asthmatic patients who are desperate and looking for alternate methods of treatment. This is a scientifically proven therapeutic method and there are scientific publications to prove its utility. This is a great boon for severe asthmatic patients.