Current evidence on the safety and efficacy of endobronchial valve insertion to reduce lung volume in emphysema is adequate in quantity and quality to support the use of this procedure provided that standard arrangements are in place for clinical governance, consent and audit. Find out what standard arrangements mean on the NICE interventional procedures guidance page.
Patient selection should be done by a multidisciplinary team experienced in managing emphysema, which should typically include a chest physician, a radiologist, a thoracic surgeon and a respiratory nurse.
Patients selected for treatment should have had pulmonary rehabilitation.
The procedure should only be done to occlude volumes of the lung where there is no collateral ventilation, by clinicians with specific training in doing the procedure.