Bronchoscopic Intrabullous Autologous Blood Instillation: A Novel Approach for the Treatment of Giant Bullae

The current standard therapy for patients with giant bullae is surgical bullectomy; however, high operative risk and comorbidities preclude surgical procedures in many patients. Autologous blood instilled directly into bullae can induce an inflammatory reaction, leading to scarring, fibrosis, and ultimately volume loss. We have treated 5 patients with this minimally invasive approach as day-case procedures using moderate sedation. Three of the 5 patients had shrinkage of the bullae, leading to large and clinically meaningful improvements in lung function, exercise capacity, and quality of life 3 months after treatment. (C) 2013 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons