New Emphysema Procedure Tested, University of Alabama at Birmingham Study

A patient at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) became the first person in America to undergo an investigational therapy for emphysema that uses a foam sealant sprayed into the lungs. On Oct. 29, 2012, Perry Waldrop, 55, of Cullman, Ala., was treated in a late-stage clinical trial of the AeriSeal System. The therapy, approved for use in parts of Europe and Israel, is undergoing investigation in the United States as a potential method of reducing lung volume in patients with severe emphysema.