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COPD BALLOON TREATMENT · PROCESS

How Is COPD Balloon Treatment Performed? The Step-by-Step Process

Prof. Dr. Yalçın Karakoca · Last updated: 25 September 2026

SHORT ANSWER

The procedure is done in hospital while you are asleep (general anaesthesia). You do not feel pain during the procedure. A tube with a camera at its tip (bronchoscope) is passed through your mouth into your airways. First, the mucus in the airways is cleared. Then a special mesh-covered balloon is inflated and deflated several times in the narrowed airways. The procedure takes about 1 hour. Patients usually go home within 1–2 days. There are no incisions or stitches. You continue your medicines as recommended by your doctor.

Step 1 — Consultation and decision

At our clinic in Kavacık (Beykoz), your symptoms, your medicines and the test results you already have are reviewed. A breathing test (lung function test) and a chest CT scan are done. Your oxygen is measured or a blood gas test is done. If needed, a heart check is also done. You can find out who the treatment is suitable for on the Who is it for? page. If you are coming from outside Istanbul, we first hold an online preliminary consultation. The consultation and tests are fitted into a single day (Treatment in Istanbul).

The procedure step by step: animation with English narration and subtitles (about 3 minutes)

The animation shows the procedure in 11 steps. A tube with a camera at its tip (bronchoscope) is moved forward into the airway. A mesh-covered balloon is inflated and deflated, and the airway is cleared. It also includes the camera view the doctor sees on the screen. The narration is in English; the subtitles are in the language of this page (switch them on and off with CC). Press the ▶ button to play.

Narration
2 min 51 s · 11 steps · English narration, with subtitles (CC)
Schematic animation: a tube with a camera at its tip (bronchoscope) is moved forward into the airway; a mesh-covered balloon is inflated and deflated in a controlled way and withdrawn. The drawings are simplified; the real anatomy and timings vary from person to person. For general information purposes; it does not replace diagnosis and treatment.

Step 2 — Preparation

  • You have a pre-anaesthetic assessment. Blood tests and blood clotting tests are done, and an ECG is taken.
  • Do not stop any medicine on your own. We plan together how you will take certain medicines, such as blood thinners, before the procedure. You usually continue your inhaler (bronchodilator) medicines.
  • Before the procedure, you do not eat or drink anything from the time you are told.
  • If you have a lung infection or a COPD flare-up, the procedure is postponed. This is treated first.
  • You are asked to stop smoking before the procedure. We give you support to help you stop.

Step 3 — The day of the procedure

The procedure is done at a partner hospital with anaesthesia and intensive care support. While you are asleep (general anaesthesia), the bronchoscope is passed through your mouth into your airways.

  1. Clearing the mucus: The mucus that has built up in the airways is suctioned out, and the airways are examined with the camera.
  2. Applying the balloon: A special mesh-covered balloon, sized to suit the width of the airway, is put in place. The balloon is inflated and deflated several times in a controlled way. The mesh surface of the balloon clears the thickened tissue and mucus that narrow the airway.
  3. Checking: The airway is checked for bleeding and to see whether it has opened. If needed, the mucus is cleared again.

The procedure takes about 1 hour. The time may vary depending on the structure of your airways and the number of areas to be treated.

Step 4 — Monitoring after the procedure

After you wake up, your oxygen level, breathing, blood pressure and pulse are monitored. If your COPD is at a very advanced stage, the length of monitoring is decided according to your needs. If needed, you are monitored in intensive care. In the first days, you may have a cough and throat irritation. Your phlegm may increase and there may be a small amount of blood in it. These usually settle within a short time. Patients usually go home within 1–2 days. Depending on your general condition, this may take longer.

Step 5 — Discharge and the first week

  • You continue your inhalers and other COPD medicines as your doctor recommends. Your oxygen use is adjusted again based on the measurements.
  • Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, drink plenty of fluids. Do your breathing exercises and increase your walking gradually (Breathing exercises and daily life).
  • When to seek help immediately: Increasing shortness of breath, high fever. Heavy or persistent bloodstained phlegm, severe chest pain. A marked drop in your oxygen level, confusion. In an emergency, call 112.

Step 6 — Follow-up visits

The first follow-up visit is at 1 week, the second at 1 month and the third at 6 months. After that, your condition continues to be monitored with breathing tests and oxygen measurements. At the follow-up visits, we look together at your flare-ups, your medicines, your vaccines and your smoking status. If needed, repeating the procedure is discussed.

Timeline of the process (may vary from person to person)

StagePlaceDuration
Consultation and testsClinic / laboratory1 day (fitted into a single day for patients coming from outside Istanbul)
Decision and planningClinic / online1–7 days
ProcedurePartner hospital, general anaesthesiaAbout 1 hour
Hospital stayHospitalUsually 1–2 days
First follow-up visitClinicWeek 1
Second follow-up visitClinicMonth 1
Third follow-up visitClinicMonth 6
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

Is it suitable for you?

Book an appointment and bring your breathing test and chest CT scan reports. We decide together at the consultation. If you are coming from outside Istanbul, an online preliminary consultation can be held first.

Call: +90 530 337 85 95
Message us on WhatsApp

Please bring: your breathing test, your chest CT scan report and images (CD/USB), your list of medicines and, if you have one, your blood gas test result.

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SCIENTIFIC STUDIES

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HAVE A QUESTION?

Frequently asked questions

The questions our patients and their relatives ask most often, with answers. We discuss questions about your own situation together at the consultation.

No. The procedure is done while you are asleep (general anaesthesia). You do not feel pain during the procedure. Afterwards, you may have mild throat irritation and a cough for a few days.

The procedure is done under general anaesthesia, while you are asleep. This way, you are comfortable during the procedure. The anaesthesia plan is decided individually for you, together with the anaesthetist.

Patients usually go home within 1–2 days. Depending on your general condition, this may take longer.

Most patients return to their daily activities within a few days. For heavy work and long journeys, ask your doctor.

You may have a mild cough and throat irritation. Your phlegm may increase for a while, and there may be small streaks of blood in it. It is not normal to have increasing shortness of breath, a fever or heavy bleeding. If this happens, call us.

Usually 5–7 days is enough. In this time, the consultation and tests, the procedure, a hospital stay of 1–2 days and the first follow-up visit are completed. Detailed plan: Treatment in Istanbul.

APPOINTMENT

Book an appointment for a preliminary assessment

Let us plan the process for you: +90 530 337 85 95 (WhatsApp/phone) · info@yalcinkarakoca.com

Call: +90 530 337 85 95
WhatsApp

info@yalcinkarakoca.com · Rüzgarlıbahçe Mah. Cumhuriyet Cad. Hasoğlu Plaza Kat:3, Kavacık / Beykoz, İstanbul

This page is for information purposes. The process may vary from person to person.

Medical content review: Prof. Dr. Yalçın Karakoca, Pulmonologist · Last updated: 25 September 2026