Late Breaking Abstract - First-in-Human Results of Bronchial Rheoplasty: An Endobronchial Treatment For Chronic Bronchitis (CB)

Introduction: CB patients may benefit from ablation of mucus-producing airway cells. Bronchial Rheoplasty is a new procedure in which Pulsed Electric Fields are delivered to the airways via an endobronchial catheter. Preclinical studies demonstrated epithelial ablation and rapid regeneration with this technique. Methods: Patients with symptomatic CB underwent Bronchial Rheoplasty under general anesthesia, performed on the right-sided airways first, followed by left side treatment one month later. Endobronchial cryobiopsies were obtained before treatment and at follow up and evaluated by an independent blinded core lab. Changes in symptoms, quality of life and pulmonary function were assessed. Results: 25 patients with CB were enrolled (62.5% male, age 66.3±7.6 yrs, Post-BD FEV1 59.0±16.1%). There were no serious adverse events associated with Rheoplasty. Non-serious adverse events included COPD exacerbations (36% of patients), mild hemoptysis (40%), and dyspnea (12%). A reduction in goblet cell hyperplasia was measured in 63.6% of treated airways (p Conclusion: Early results demonstrate safety and feasibility of Bronchial Rheoplasty in CB patients. Further studies are required to confirm these results.