May 5 – May 6, 2014 is the 16th World Asthma Day, and this year’s theme remains “Asthma can be controlled”. As the world’s leading treatment for severe persistent asthma, the first procedures of Boston Scientific’s innovative bronchial thermoplasty (BT) to control and reduce asthma symptoms through the application of the Alair® Bronchial Thermoplasty System have recently been completed in China. Prof. Lin Jiangtao of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, Ministry of Health, Prof. Li Shiyue of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases of the First Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Prof. Chen Liangan of the General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army (301 Hospital) in Beijing, Prof. Zhang Xin of Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai and Prof. Wang Changhui of the Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University in Shanghai performed the procedure, marking a revolutionary solution for the treatment of severe persistent asthma. Bronchial thermoplasty, a revolutionary bronchoscopic solution for the treatment of severe persistent asthma, has entered the clinical stage in China and will help more Chinese asthma patients to control their symptoms and improve their quality of life. Asthma is a common and prevalent chronic respiratory disease. In the past 10 years, the global incidence of asthma has been on the rise, and there are now nearly 30 million asthma patients in China. Asthma not only endangers the health and life of patients, but also has a great impact on their daily activities, psychological and social roles. According to statistics, about 63% of patients change their original lifestyle due to asthma and 74% of patients are unable to perform normal physical activities due to asthma. This year, World Asthma Day has been extended for the eighth time with the theme “Asthma can be controlled”, which to a certain extent reflects that the current status of asthma control worldwide is not optimistic.” The current rate of asthma control in China is less than 3%, and the situation is quite serious. As a clinician, I feel that there is a long way to go to control asthma.” Professor Lin Jiangtao of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital of the Ministry of Health said, “There are two main reasons for this situation: first, because most patients interrupt treatment after seeing milestones, leading to relapses; second, because patients have many concerns about the side effects of hormones or steroids. In addition, about 3 – 5% of asthma patients are unable to control their condition with medication. The entry of bronchial thermoplasty into China fills the current gap in the treatment of severe persistent asthma and is a milestone in the history of asthma treatment in China.” As an innovative physical therapy, BT has the advantages of easy surgery, high safety and stable results, and can effectively control the symptoms of severe persistent asthma. Data from clinical studies show that patients’ quality of life improves dramatically after BT: the incidence of severe acute exacerbations decreases by an average of 48% over five years compared to the year before the procedure, and emergency room visits for respiratory symptoms decrease by an average of 88% compared to the year before treatment. Patients aged 18 years and older with severe persistent asthma whose symptoms are not effectively controlled with inhaled glucocorticoids (ICS) and long-acting beta agonists (LABA) may be considered for BT. Prof. Li Shiyue of the Guangdong Institute of Pulmonary Research said, “The female patient with asthma in Guangxi who underwent bronchial thermoplasty in our hospital was previously treated with inhaled glucocorticoids and oral hormone medication for a long time with poor efficacy, and still had recurrent asthma symptoms and poor sleep quality at night. After the surgery, she has been largely free of medication, and her asthma control questionnaire, quality of life questionnaire scores and pulmonary ventilation function (one-second exertional spirometry improved from 1.8 L to 2.05 L) have all improved significantly. Therefore, patients who underwent this procedure had less pain and high surgical safety, which has high clinical value.” Professor Wang Changhui of the Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University in Shanghai also gave high praise to the BT procedure: “Bronchial thermoplasty is the latest means of treating refractory asthma today, and it is the first time that bronchoscopic intervention is used to treat asthma. It is the first bronchoscopic intervention for asthma. In terms of treatment effect and patient prognosis, it has a definite efficacy and has obvious advantages compared with the current drug treatment. We hope to see a rapid expansion of BT technology in China for the benefit of more Chinese patients.” About Bronchial Thermoplasty (BT) Bronchial thermoplasty is the use of radiofrequency energy (or heat) to thin the hyperplastic airway smooth muscle (ASM) in the airway wall and limit the ability of the airway to contract and narrow. The entire procedure requires three outpatient surgical treatments, each 3 weeks apart.