Yes I guess I would be the queen of embolizations (I'm not saying an expert) since I have had at least 13 or 14. I also have had hemoptysis since I was a teenager and it only got worse 6 years ago, at first they didn't do anything, if I had a fever after coughing up cups of blood then I started antibiotics and hope the bleeding would stop, then the doctors changed and after the first major bleed with him he suggested embolization, I was so excited because naturally I thought it would take care of the problem! I had the surgery was recovering, feeling great and then 3 days after surgery I was put a vent (the first time, 5 times followed) and my husband told the next 24 hours would determine the rest of my life, I recovered, then proceeded to have 6 more embolizations in 5 weeks, I just kept bleeding, they actually found some good spots, I have an artery that feeds the shoulder and it branched off too each of my lungs which is very very odd but helped explain why I had a better supply of blood!
Anyways, some of my stories are on my blog, I shouldn't get carried away here. Let me try and help you..... yes there are risks but aren't their risks for every single surgery? I would just make sure that you are at a good center, it sounds like it since he said they have never had any complications. The surgeries aren't bad at all, kinda boring, they never put me to sleep just relaxed me etc... (one time it was like 3am, and half my surgeries were done in the early morning hours because of when I would bleed, they turned on some great music, it was fun) yes, you do have to lay there for about 6 hours after surgery and make sure you do that and that they apply enough pressure at the beginning, only once did I have excessive bruising and did it hurt, all the other times you are able to up and walk and be just fine (okay might hurt a little). Yes I think I did lose a little lung function each time but at the beginning it was hardly noticable.
As for does it work? I'm not sure, as you know I had my upper right lobe removed and I have still coughed up blood, but again I know I am a special case. I know that like moxie1 said, pulmozyme and tobi make me cough up blood (are you on those?) so we stopped them and then I would try again, same result, I haven't done pulmo in 5 years, tried it a couple months ago, just did it for 5 mins. twice in one day and had a little streaking!!!! so for me that is a cause. and it didn't always use to be this way but right now exercise doesn't help either, because the bronchial arteries are reaching for oxygen and when you exercise you are lower and so it causes them to get irritated etc... another big thing for me is infection I have cepacia and right now is very hard to control, I have been on iv's almost all the time last year except for a one or maybe a two week break, which then I would start to streak or I would cough up blood and start iv's again (currently I haven't had any blood since Thanksgiving when I was off iv's for 48 hours, that's right I have been on iv's now for what 16 weeks?)
I don't know if I am helping or not, you can PM me any questions, I just can't tell you what to do! I think I had to have the surgeries because my hemoptysis was life-threatening, if I was having small bleeds daily I can honestly say I would have the surgery because I always have a hope that it would work, you never know, it could! I hope I didn't confuse you.
Let me ask my husband for more info, he actually wrote a paper and did a presentation on bronchial embolization for school, he was even able to get pictures from my surgeries! So he might have some better info for you. I'll ask him tonight when he gets home from school.
