Bronchial Thermoplasty: Surgery for Asthma

Bronchial thermoplasty is a new endoscopic therapy for patients with severe asthma. In his thesis, Dr Langton discovers the physiological changes that occur in patients after treatment, linking the histological changes to the symptomatic improvement. The thesis then explores the effectiveness and safety of this treatment in Australia. The patients most likely to benefit from treatment are defined, as is the place of this treatment in the therapeutic approach to severe asthma. Recommendations are made on ways to improve the surgical technique. This body of work provides bronchial thermoplasty with a solid evidence base for clinical use.