Bronchial thermoplasty : a real advancement in the treatment of asthma

New treatments are needed to improve the care of severe asthmatic patients. Bronchial thermoplasty aims to lessen the airway smooth muscles via the heating of bronchial walls by radiofrequency. The preliminary studies showed a good tolerance and some good efficacy. Randomized controlled trials have been undertaken on moderate to severe asthmatic patients, demonstrating an improvement in quality of life, rate of severe exacerbations and unscheduled medical visits. The main side-effects consist of asthma exacerbations, atelectasis and infections. Bronchial thermoplasty is an innovative treatment with good efficacy and acceptable tolerance for moderate to severe asthmatic patients. More studies are needed to better understand its mechanism of action and more clearly delineate the precise indications of this innovative technique