DIVIDE study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  DIVIDE study - DIVision of the Interlobar fissure in patients who Do not respond to Endobronchial lung volume reduction.

• IRAS ID

  353978

• Contact name

  Rocco Bilancia

• Contact email

  rocco.bilancia@gjnh.scot.nhs.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Golden Jubilee National Hospital

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 5 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  The DIVIDE study is looking into a new approach for patients with severe emphysema, a lung condition causing over-inflation and breathlessness.
  Normally, endobronchial valves can be implanted into the most diseased part of the lung to help it deflate, making breathing easier. However, the lung has natural dividers called "fissures". Often, these dividers are incomplete, creating hidden air channels that allow air to bypass the valves, meaning the valves don't work as intended and the patient doesn't improve, even after initial tests suggest they should.
  This study focuses on patients who have already had the valves implanted but haven't gotten better because of these incomplete fissures. The DIVIDE study proposes to use a surgical procedure, called thoracoscopic surgical division of the interlobar fissure, to close these incomplete dividers. This type of surgery is already a common procedure for thoracic surgeons in other contexts, but its use here is specifically to help the valves work effectively.
  The primary objectives of the study are to determine the safety and feasibility profile of this strategy. The key expected outcomes are that this surgical intervention will enable the valves to work properly, leading to the targeted part of the lung deflating. resulting in significant improvements in lung function, exercise ability, and overall quality of life for patients. Additionally, it's hoped that this procedure will lead to fewer complications and shorter hospital stays compared to other available surgical options, which currently is standard Lung Volume Reduction Surgery, a procedure that bears significant morbidity and long hospital stay. The information gathered from this study will then be used to plan larger studies to compare this technique with standard treatments.

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 5

• REC reference

  25/WS/0199

• Date of REC Opinion

  3 Mar 2026

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion