Surgical options for COPD

For most people, inhaling and exhaling is second nature. But for those living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), breathing isn’t something to take for granted.

COPD describes a group of progressive lung diseases that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. As the name implies, COPD obstructs airflow — making it more difficult to exhale and often causing breathlessness, especially during physical activity. As a result, you may have difficulty completing or enjoying daily tasks and can experience symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness, a rounded chest shape (barrel chest) and chronic cough

COPD is typically caused by long-term exposure to harmful chemicals or fumes. Smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Rarely, however, emphysema is caused by an inherited protein deficiency — alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency — or it may occur in some forms of systemic autoimmune conditions.