Smart Vest?

Yes, I have a SmartVest. Medicare paid (except what is a HEFTY copay because it's an expensive machine) because i met the requirements. I don't remember all of them, but you have to have had a certain number of AB rounds within some defined period, and then there is the question of whether there's someone available to pound on your chest instead. I live alone with a dog so that wasn't an issue. I think I had to demonstrate that a flutter or Acapella had been prescribed and hadn't worked, also. At the time of those phone interviews, it could still take hours-to-days of huffing & coughing to clear one glob of mucus, while anyone listening could tell there was plenty more in my lungs.

I do think that a proper hand pounding may be more effective. Certainly for me myofascial release therapy on spasms in my back helps more, tho that's not available more than once or twice yearly.

IF you go online and buy it yourself, your pulmonologist needs to work out your treatment settings. Mine wrote the orders and a resp therapist for the company brought me the machine, did the settings, and showed me how to use it. About once yearly i need replacement vest, hose & filter.

I had a smart vest but found it not very helpful in cleaning the airways or in preventing worsening of my bronchiectasis. I find that exercise or postural drainage works better with less fuss. My pulmonologist ordered the system through Medicare . It did not cost me anything because my secondary insurance paid the rest. It was on rental with the insurance paying monthly for a year. Storing it and pulling it out every day was difficult. I live in a very small space. The company was helpful in trying to make it work but in the end I found it too noisy and cumbersome and asked to return it.

Good luck. Let us know what you decide to do.

Louise

You may want to wait to see what other are saying before you decide. One more reason I did not like the Vest is that I while it loosens the mucus, I still had to use the nebulizer to bring it up. Just using the nebulizer by itself was as effective a lot of the time.

Good luck,

Louise

I was diagnosed with mild BX in one lung 3 years ago. Within the last year, it's been detected in my other lung, as well, though still classified as mild. About 6 months into my first year, my doctor prescribed a percussion vest. I used it faithfully twice a day for the next 18 months, during which I got 2 lung infections. I was at this time that, on the advice of my pulmonologist, my husband and I moved from Colorado to Tennessee to get out of the altitude. When I found a new pulmonologist in Tennessee, I asked him about using hypertonic (7%) saline along with the albuterol in my nebulizer because I'd read that it's much more effective than the 3% saline I'd been using to break up the mucus. Although my Colorado pulmonoligist had been relunctant to let me try it, this new doctor agreed. I have found that the hypertonic saline is MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE in clearing my lungs than anything else I've tried, including the percussion vest. I've not had an infection is over 18 months and I quit using the vest about a year ago. According to my doctor, vests work fine for lots of folks but not all. It's tucked away in a closet in case I need it in the future but I'm so grateful to have found a more effective and less cumbersome way to manage the mucus in my lungs.

In terms of the expense, we ended up paying about 10% of the $15,000 cost of the machine. I don't remember the particulars but we got some sort of discount and then Medicare paid the remaining 90%.

I need to mention a couple of other things just to put this in perspective. First of all, my case of BX is, thankfully, very mild. I know a lot of folks on this site have multiple diagnoses so I don't want to suggest that what works for me would work for everyone. That said, I attribute my 18 infection-free months to several factors, the hypertonic saline being only one of them. I also am very consistent about maintaining the following routines, although I have no idea the extent to which they contribute to my ability to manage the BX. I share them here just FYI...

1. My husband and I drink a kefir smoothie every morning and have done so for the past 2 and a half years. I've read about the probiotic properties of kefir and believe that the more healthy my gut, the more healthy my body. I make my own kefir from kefir grains so it's less expensive than buying kefir in the stores. Again, I don't know how much this is actually doing to boost our immune systems but at the point, I'm afraid to stop... :=)
2. My husband and I use a 24-hour hand sanitizer every time we leave the house. The one we use is "All Day Hand Sanitizer - 24hr Protection - 6-pack Travel Size - Moisturizing, Alcohol-Free, Hypoallergenic, Fragrance-Free" available through Amazon. If you're interested, I highly recommend you read the reviews. Again, not sure how much this contributes to my good health but I'm not sure I'd have the confidence to be greeters as our church during the flu season without it.
3. I drink at least 64 ounces of water every day. Based on my weight, this is the amount recommended by health professionals anyway, and I know it goes a long way toward thinning the mucus and making it easier to clear.
4. I usually try to walk at least 30 minutes a day. Lately, I've been dealing with sciatica issues so I'm not as consistent as I'd like. I'm anxious to get back to my normal schedule.
5. Lastly, but in my view most important, I trust God to help me to manage this disease that He's seen fit to allow in my life. Reading the stories of others on this site has made me keenly aware that I am indeed one of the fortunate one who hasn't yet had to deal with the more severe complications.

Anyway, I hope some of what I've shared will be helpful to someone. My best to all my fellow BX sojourners!