COPD BALLOON TREATMENT · SCIENTIFIC STUDIES
Scientific Studies on COPD Balloon Treatment
Prof. Dr. Yalçın Karakoca · Last updated: 25 September 2026
SHORT ANSWER
COPD balloon treatment is performed with the Karakoca Resector Balloon. Since 2008, the method has been developed through studies published in international peer-reviewed journals. The first publication is the technical description published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery in 2008. This was followed by a 112-patient series in 2009 and the first study in COPD in 2015. In 2018, the 188-patient COPD study was published. The COPD studies reported a marked improvement in shortness of breath, oxygen saturation and lung function. The method was also included in an independent European review. The review was published in European Respiratory Review (2021), the journal of the European Respiratory Society. In it, the method was mentioned among the bronchoscopic methods for chronic bronchitis.
Publications and findings
| Year | Journal | Patients | What was found? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Annals of Thoracic Surgery | 30 patients, 38 procedures | Clearing tissue that blocks the airway with a mesh-covered balloon was performed successfully; the method and the device were described for the first time |
| 2009 | J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol | 112 patients, 128 procedures | 100% technical success; no serious early or late complications were seen |
| 2015 | J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol | 10 COPD patients (most advanced stage) | Improvement in exercise capacity, oxygen saturation and FEV1 in all patients; no complications or flare-ups were seen during 1–3 months of follow-up |
| 2018 | Medicine (Baltimore) | 188 COPD patients | At one month, FEV1 rose from 0.77 L to 1.28 L and oxygen saturation from 87% to 94%; shortness of breath decreased markedly and the need for oxygen fell; no procedure-related complications were seen |
| 2018 | European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress, Paris | — | Presentation of the five-year results of the Karakoca Resector Balloon method in severe COPD |
Who was treated in the 188-patient study?
The study included 188 patients with advanced COPD (GOLD III–IV). The patients were using high-dose inhalers, oral steroids, oxygen and breathing machines at home. Despite this, their shortness of breath did not go away. The average age of the patients was 69. 80% of the patients had another chronic disease alongside COPD. One week after the procedure, breathing capacity and oxygen levels had increased markedly. Shortness of breath also decreased markedly. This improvement was maintained over one month. The patients’ need for oxygen also decreased markedly. The hospital stay was usually 1–4 days.
Results of the 188-patient study
| Measurement | Before the procedure | Week 1 | Month 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breathing capacity (FEV1, average) | 0.77 L | 1.06 L | 1.28 L |
| Oxygen saturation (SpO₂, average) | 87% | 92% | 94% |
| Shortness of breath (Borg scale) | — | Marked decrease | Decrease maintained |
A marked decrease in the need for oxygen and an increase in the 6-minute walk distance were also reported. No procedure-related complications were seen. There were no COPD flare-ups in the 3 months after the procedure. In the 183 patients who came in as outpatients, the hospital stay lasted 1–4 days. Half of these patients were discharged in 2 days or less.
International visibility
- The method was first presented at the 16th World Congress for Bronchology (Tokyo).
- In 2018, an abstract on the five-year results was published at the international congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) in Paris.
- Independent reviews also discussed the Karakoca balloon method. One of them was published in European Respiratory Review (2021). The others appeared in the journals Journal of Clinical Medicine (2023) and Life (2023). The method was mentioned among the bronchoscopic approaches to chronic bronchitis.
- There is also another review, titled “Epithelial Resurfacing: The Bronchial Skin Peel”. This review mentioned Karakoca among the earliest pioneers of the idea of renewing the bronchial surface.
The authors of the studies recommended that the results also be supported by larger, multicentre studies.
Full texts of the publications
For the full references of all the articles, with their DOI and PubMed links, see the Scientific Publications page. The full text of the 188-patient study can be accessed free of charge via PubMed Central (PMC6283145).
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.
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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The questions our patients and their relatives ask most often, with answers. We discuss questions about your own situation together at the consultation.
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At a consultation, let us assess together what the studies mean for your situation: +90 530 337 85 95.
info@yalcinkarakoca.com · Rüzgarlıbahçe Mah. Cumhuriyet Cad. Hasoğlu Plaza Kat:3, Kavacık / Beykoz, İstanbul
REFERENCES
- Karakoca Y, Karaagac G, Aydemir C, Caner C. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008;85(2):628-631. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2007.07.019
- Karakoca Y, Karaagac G, Aydemir C. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol. 2009;16(2):78-80. doi:10.1097/LBR.0b013e31819f273f
- Karakoca Y, Karaagac Gogus G, Yapicier O. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol. 2015;22(3):209-214. doi:10.1097/LBR.0000000000000178
- Karakoca Y, Gogus G, Akduman S, Erturk B. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(48):e13400. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000013400; PMC6283145
- Karakoca Y. Five years outcome of Karakoca Resector Balloon dilatation and curettage method in severe COPD. Eur Respir J. 2018;52(Suppl 62):PA5394. doi:10.1183/13993003.congress-2018.PA5394
- Hartman JE, Garner JL, Shah PL, Slebos DJ. Eur Respir Rev. 2021;30:200281.
- Mayr AK, Valipour A. J Clin Med. 2023;12(5):1854. doi:10.3390/jcm12051854
- Bronchoscopic Management of COPD and Advances in Therapy. Life. 2023;13(4):1036.
- Epithelial Resurfacing: The Bronchial Skin Peel. PMC7462398.
This page is for general information purposes. It does not replace a medical examination or diagnosis. Treatment decisions are made during an examination, on an individual basis. In an emergency, call 112.
Medical content review: Prof. Dr. Yalçın Karakoca, Pulmonologist · Last updated: 25 September 2026