Introduction
death, lobar atelectasis, COPD, heterogeneous emphysema
COPD
COPD is a common and often disabling condition which is now the third largest cause of death worldwide [An alternative lung volume reduction approach is endobronchial placement of valves to the airways supplying the most emphysematous lobe causing it to deflate. This form of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) can produce lobar atelectasis and is intended to achieve similar benefits to LVRS but with less morbidity [People with heterogeneous emphysema and an absence of collateral ventilation may therefore benefit from either BLVR or LVRS, but there are no direct comparison data on the relative value of the two procedures to guide clinical decision making. The aim of our study was to determine whether LVRS produces a health benefit at 1 year that is sufficiently greater [