Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) Fissure Completion Prior to Zephyr® Endobronchial Valve Insertion (COVE)

A Pilot Study of Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) Fissure Completion Prior to Zephyr® Endobronchial Valve Insertion for Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Patients With COllateral VEntilation

Prospective, multi-centre, pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) fissure completion on the efficacy of endobronchial valve insertion (Zephyr Valve) in the treatment of subjects with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) who exhibit collateral ventilation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pulmonary Emphysema
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) fissure completion; Device: Zephyr Valve insertion

Detailed Description

The study will be a prospective, multi-centre, pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of VATS fissure completion on the efficacy of endobronchial valve insertion (Zephyr Valve) in the treatment of subjects with severe COPD who exhibit collateral ventilation.

Study patients who provide informed consent and meet the initial inclusion/exclusion criteria following baseline screening assessments and multidisciplinary review to determine eligibility will undergo two procedures, not less than 28 days apart. The first procedure will involve an initial bronchoscopy and Chartis® assessment of collateral ventilation under general anaesthesia followed by a VATS fissure completion between targeted lobes in subjects that have collateral ventilation. The second procedure undertaken following fissure completion surgery will involve bronchoscopic insertion of Zephyr® Valve(s) in the targeted lobe, under sedation or general anaesthesia.

Subjects will be followed up over a 6-month period following VATS fissure completion and Zephyr® Endobronchial Valve (Zephyr Valve) insertion.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 9
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Australia
  • Victoria
    • Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, 3065
      • St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
    • Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, 3065
      • St. Vincent's Private Hospital Fitzroy

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 36 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Subject is willing and able to provide informed consent and to participate in the study.
2. Subject is ≥ 40 years of age.
3. Subject has a diagnosis of severe or very severe homogenous or heterogeneous COPD (Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification).
4. Subject has a post bronchodilator 15% ≤ FEV1 ≤ 50%.
5. Subject has Total Lung Capacity (TLC) ≥ 100% predicted.
6. Subject has Residual Volume (RV) ≥ 150% predicted.
7. Subject has a normal dobutamine stress echocardiogram.
8. Subject has sufficient exercise tolerance i.e. 150m ≤ 6MWT ≤ 450m.
9. Subject has an incomplete lobar fissure i.e. < 90%, as confirmed by CT evaluation of lung fissures.
10. Collateral ventilation confirmed as assessed by Chartis Assessment (to be confirmed during first procedure/operation)
11. Subject has stopped smoking for at least 8 weeks prior to entering the study as confirmed by carboxyhaemoglobin or cotinine levels.
12. Subject is up to date with preventive vaccinations including seasonal influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine consistent with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services Immunization Schedule Guidelines (updated March 2018).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subject has a history of previous thoracotomy, lung volume reduction surgery, prior lobectomy or pneumonectomy, prior lung transplantation, prior airway stent placement, prior pleurodesis, or prior endobronchial lung volume reduction therapy of any form.
2. Subject has an acute COPD exacerbation.
3. Subject has evidence of active respiratory infection.
4. Subject has a post bronchodilator FEV1 < 15%.
5. Subject has a Diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) < 20%.
6. Subject has a history of recurrent clinically significant respiratory infections, defined as three (3) or more COPD exacerbations requiring hospitalization during the 12 months prior to study enrollment (Informed Consent Form signature page).

7. Subject has severe gas exchange abnormalities as defined by any one of the following:

   1. Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) < 60 mmHg
   2. Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) > 45 mmHg
   3. Oxygen saturation (SpO2) < 90% on ≥ 4 L/min supplemental O2 at rest
8. Subject use of systemic steroids > 20mg/day or equivalent and/or immunosuppressive agents in the 4 weeks prior to procedure.
9. Subject unable to temporarily interrupt use of heparins or oral anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents, excluding aspirin.

10. Subject's pre-operative CT scan indicates the presence of any of the following radiological abnormalities:

    1. Pulmonary nodule ≥ 0.8 cm in diameter (does not apply if present for 2 years or more without increase in size or if proven benign by biopsy/positron emission tomography (PET)).
    2. Radiological picture consistent with active pulmonary infection, e.g. unexplained parenchymal infiltrate.
    3. Giant bullae > 30% of the volume of either lung.
    4. Significant interstitial lung disease.
    5. Significant pleural disease.
11. Subject's baseline electrocardiogram (ECG) demonstrates clinically significant arrhythmias or conduction abnormalities.
12. Clinically significant asthma (reversible airway obstruction), chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis.
13. Subject has a known diagnosis of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
14. Subject is classified as having "likely" pulmonary hypertension defined as tricuspid regurgitation velocity > 3.4m/s and/or pulmonary artery peak systolic pressure > 45 mmHg on echocardiogram or a previous formal diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension on right heart catheterization.
15. Subject has suspected significant coronary artery disease defined as regional wall motion abnormalities on dobutamine stress echocardiogram.
16. Subject is classified as being at major cardiac risk with the presence of unstable coronary syndromes (i.e. unstable or severe angina or recent myocardial infarct), decompensated heart failure, significant arrhythmias or severe valvular disease, which warrants intensive management of the condition in accordance with current guidelines on perioperative cardiovascular risk.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Treatment; Patients exhibiting baseline collateral ventilation by Chartis® balloon catheter assessment who undergo video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) fissure completion surgery, confirmation of fissure completion by computerized tomography (CT) scan and confirmation of conversion to collateral ventilation negative by Chartis® balloon catheter assessment post VATS surgery and subsequent Zephyr Valve insertion.

Procedure: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) fissure completion; Following Bronchoscopy and Chartis® balloon catheter assessment under general anaesthesia and confirmation of collateral ventilation, a unilateral VATS lobar fissure completion will be undertaken with buttressed staples and Coseal spray intended to eliminate collateral ventilation.; Device: Zephyr Valve insertion; Following fissure completion surgery, subjects confirmed to be collateral ventilation negative will undergo bronchoscopic insertion of Zephyr® Valve(s) in the targeted lobe, under sedation or general anaesthesia.; Other Names: Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction (BLVR)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Residual Volume (RV)	Absolute Change in Residual Volume (RV) from baseline to 6-months post Zephyr Valve procedure.	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)	Absolute change in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) from baseline to 6-months post Zephyr Valve procedure.	6 months
Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second/Forced Vital Capacity (FEV1/FVC)	Absolute change in FEV1/FVC ratio from baseline to 6-months post Zephyr Valve procedure.	6 months
Total Lung Capacity (TLC)	Absolute change in Total Lung Capacity (TLC) from baseline to 6-months post Zephyr Valve procedure.	6 months
Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)	Absolute change in Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) from baseline to 6-months post Zephyr Valve procedure.	6 months
St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) Total Score	Absolute change in the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire Total Score from Baseline to 6-months post Zephyr Valve procedure. The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire measures health status (quality of life) in patients with diseases of airways obstruction. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more limitations.	6 months
Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) Score	Absolute change in the modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) Score from Baseline to 6-months post Zephyr Valve procedure. The mMRC (Modified Medical Research Council) stratifies severity of dyspnea in respiratory diseases. The severity of dyspnea is rated on a scale of 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating more limitations.	6 months
Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1)	Percent change in FEV1 from baseline to 6-months post Zephyr Valve procedure.	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Pulmonx Corporation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Naveed Alam, MD, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 4, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 5, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): March 5, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 7, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): July 10, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 29, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Pulmonary Emphysema; Emphysema
• Other Study ID Numbers: 630-0026-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: Yes