Ronny N.’s Story

Ronny had been slowing down for months, so he knew something wasn’t right. Still, the diagnosis of a life-threatening lung disease came as a shock.

“I was working as a carpenter, and I would get so out of breath when I had to carry something heavy,” he says. “I thought it might be something wrong with my heart. Then my doctor told me I had COPD.”

Ronny was put on medication after his diagnosis, but his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease slowly worsened over the years. Things came to a head when he couldn’t catch his breath on a drive back from Connecticut with his brother.

Upon arriving in Philadelphia, Ronny’s brother took him directly to the Temple University Hospital Emergency Room. He was admitted and spent 3 days in the ICU, but it was at Temple where he found hope for his condition.

‘Eye-opening’ care at Temple

During his stay at Temple, Ronny was under the care of pulmonologist Gilbert D’Alonzo, MD. Ronny had such a good experience that he switched all of his care to Temple, saying it was “probably the best decision I ever made.”

Ronny says Temple gave him options he wasn’t offered before, including a nebulizer, oxygen, and a CPAP machine to help him breathe easier at night.

He also began attending a Temple COPD Support Group, and he was enrolled in a remote monitoring program that allowed him to report his vital signs daily using his phone.

“In one day at Temple I learned more about my COPD than I did after 7 years somewhere else,” Ronny says. “The Temple Lung Center has so much more to offer…it opened my eyes to how great Temple is.”

Breathing easier thanks to a novel procedure

As time went on, it became clear that Ronny needed a long-term solution to his breathing problems. Temple Lung Center Director Gerard J. Criner, MD, recommended a new procedure developed at Temple called bronchoscopic lung volume reduction, or BLVR for short. This nonsurgical procedure implants tiny valves into a patient’s airways to block diseased parts of the lung.

The valves are not a cure for COPD. Instead, they allow heathier regions of the lungs to expand and function more efficiently. The result can be easier breathing, improved exercise tolerance and a better quality of life.

Ronny had 6 valves implanted, and he quickly noticed the difference.

“There’s a corner store near my house, and I used to have to stop twice to catch my breath to get there,” he says. “A week after the procedure I didn’t have to stop. I was at the store grinning to myself and trying not to scream. I didn’t want everyone to think I was crazy, but it was just so cool.”

Although Ronny still has limitations due to his COPD, his quality of life has improved significantly.

“I can do the things I like to do, visit my friends, go play chess, walk to the grocery store. I have more confidence doing these things now,” he says. “If it wasn’t for the great team at Temple, I don’t know where I would be.”

Helpful Resources

Looking for more information?

• Get to know his physicians — Dr. Gilbert D’Alonzo and Dr. Gerard J. Criner
• Frequently asked questions about COPD
• Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction procedure — What to expect
• About the COPD Program at the Temple Lung Center