Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine
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Bronchial thermoplasty(BT) is a novel therapeutic modality for adult patients with severe asthma. BT is a procedure of applying radio frequency thermal energy to the airways with the goal of ablating the airway smooth muscle and ameliorating airway hypersensitivity. ⋯ BT was introduced in Japan on April 2015, and the number of treated asthma patients is increasing. In this article, we describe the methods, effectiveness, safety and the current status of BT in Japan.