Salem Health offers hope for patients with severe asthma
Adults with severe asthma have a way to breathe better thanks to a safe, minimally invasive, outpatient procedure. Salem Health now offers
bronchial thermoplasty, a clinically proven, long-term treatment that greatly improves quality
of life for severe asthma patients.
Salem Hospital is the only facility offering BT in the Mid-Willamette Valley.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, BT reduces asthma attacks by reducing smooth muscle in the airway with a catheter.
With less smooth muscle, the airway constricts less and breathing is easier. Fewer asthma attacks means patients won’t need the usual inhalers or medications — and can avoid their side effects.
Who makes a good candidate for BT?
- Adults over the age of 18
- Nonsmokers (for at least the past year)
- Those with severe or persistent asthma not controlled by inhalers or medications
How is BT performed?
BT involves three separate visits performed at least three weeks apart. Under anesthesia, a lighted catheter applies heat to the smooth muscle in the bronchial tubes.

Courtesy: Boston Scientific
The patient is monitored after the procedure and usually goes home the same day or early the next day.
Does BT have any side effects?
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
For more information, contact your primary care doctor or visit btforasthma.com.
Health care professionals: Visit this web site for details.