Method and apparatus to treat cardiopulmonary disease

A method of treating a cardiopulmonary disease comprising:

• selecting a patient diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmias,
• advancing a treatment apparatus into a trachea of the patient to a tracheal bifurcation,
• positioning an ablation element of the treatment apparatus at a target space, wherein the positioning is performed via a visualization system of the treatment apparatus within the trachea and the target space identified by an anterior wall of the trachea proximate the tracheal bifurcation, an aorta and a left pulmonary artery,
• penetrating the anterior wall of the trachea to extend the ablation element,
• delivering ablation energy from the ablation element of the treatment apparatus through the anterior wall of the trachea to tissue comprising a deep cardiac plexus, wherein the ablation energy disrupts neural signals from the deep cardiac plexus, and
• removing the treatment apparatus from the patient.

A method of treating a patient comprising:

• selecting a patient with cardiac arrhythmias,
• advancing and positioning an ablation device inside a trachea of the patient at a level of a bifurcation saddle of the trachea, wherein the positioning the ablation device is performed via a visualization system within the trachea and the ablation device is positioned at a target tissue space identified by an anterior wall of the trachea proximate a tracheal bifurcation, an aorta and a left pulmonary artery,
• advancing an ablation element of the ablation device though a wall of the trachea, wherein advancing the ablation element comprises puncturing the anterior wall of the trachea, and
• delivering ablation energy from the ablation element to the target tissue space wherein the ablation energy ablates at least a portion of a deep cardiac plexus,
• wherein the ablation of at least a portion of the deep cardiac plexus results in a therapeutic effect selected from a list comprising reducing sympathetic stimulation of a heart of the patient, reducing cardiac arrhythmias, reducing pulmonary hypertension, improving HRQoL, and relieving dyspnea.