History of the Group - Núcleo de Tratamento do Enfisema Pulmonar

In 2012 the Center has advanced further in the treatment of emphysema through partnership with VIDA Diagnostics, leader in lung assessment technology and services. We also started using Chartis (Pulmonx) technology for assessment of pulmonary flow and pressure.

“In January, the Emphysema Treatment Group moves to a new, dedicated area at Hospital Moinhos de Vento. This is where the Group holds its III training course in February. The III Training Course was focused on the training of physicians from Uruguay and Argentina. Three additional courses were held in 2011: one in Porto Alegre, one in São Paulo and one in Blumenau (state of Santa Catarina).”

The Emphysema Treatment Center holds its 2nd Emphysema Treatment Center Course program, training physicians from São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba.

The Emphysema Treatment Center hosts its 1st Emphysema Treatment Center Course program, training physicians from the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Bahia.

The Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) approves marketing and use of one-way endobronchial valves in Brazil. The Center treats its first patient with COPD-related central airway obstruction with an endobronchial device.

The group moves its practice to the Hospital Moinhos de Vento. The Emphysema Treatment Center is officially established by Dr. Hugo de Oliveira, Dr. Amarilio Vieira de Macedo Neto, Dr. Silvia Martins de Oliveira, Dr. Enio do Valle and Dr. Sergio Pinto Ribeiro.

As of 2007, one-way valves are still not available for use in a clinical setting (that is, outside of a clinical trial). Several patients are therefore treated as part of a “compassionate use” or expanded access program. Under this system, a team of physicians contacts the Ministry of Health and files a clinical report showing that the patient’s condition is hopeless and cannot be managed by any available treatment. The Ministry then analyzes the report and authorizes access to drugs or equipment that have yet to receive marketing approval.

The group’s trial results are published in the prestigious Chest journal.
http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org

The study is selected as one of the year’s leading pulmonology publications at the 2007 American Thoracic Society International Conference, and receives the South American article of the year award at the 2007 South American Conference held in Uruguay.




	Dr. Hugo Oliveira – Brazil Dr. Gabriel Revelo – Uruguay Dr. Henry Colt – UCLA Univ. – USA

The phase II trial concludes. Dr. Oliveira and Dr. Macedo Neto start discussing the idea of creating a dedicated emphysema treatment group.

The systematics of evaluation and documentation with revision bronhcoscopies after the treatment have enabled Dr. Oliveira and Dr. Macedo Neto to play a decisive role in switching to a new, more efficient valve model, from the ninth HCPA-treated patient onwards.

Both physicians travel to the United States and are trained by the manufacturer of this novel device (Emphasys Inc.), alongside clinicians from England, Italy, Germany, Australia, and China.

The group successfully applies to conduct part of a phase II clinical trial for the device. This stage of trials is conducted at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) and 19 patients undergo the procedure between 2002 and 2004. Several of these patients are still seen at the Center for follow-up.

The first steps toward establishment of the Emphysema Treatment Center are taken when Dr. Hugo de Oliveira convinces Dr. Amarilio Vieira de Macedo Neto to join him in an endeavor that barely seemed believable at the time: a new emphysema treatment that required neither surgery nor medication, but simply involved placing valves in the lung through a bronchoscope.