Is the reduction of forced expiratory lung volumes proportional to the lung parenchyma resection, 6 months after pneumonectomy?

OBJECTIVES: To preoperatively estimate the degree of first-second forced expired volume (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) reduction 6 months after pneumonectomy, according to the preoperative performed spirometry and bronchoscopy, and to estimate if the expected postoperative values of FEV1 and FVC are in accordance with the actual values. METHODS: Thirty-five patients, who underwent pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer between 1996 and 1999, were included in the perspective study. All patients had total or near total bronchial obstruction at preoperative bronchoscopy. Patients were divided into three groups according to the preoperative bronchoscopy findings: Group I, obstruction of the main bronchus (six patients); Group II, obstruction of a lobar bronchus (19 patients); and Group III, obstruction of a segmental bronchus (10 patients). The estimation of the percent reduction of FEV1 and FVC has been made according to the formula: percent reduction=(no. of bronchopulmonary segments to be resected-no. of obstructed segments) x 5.26%. RESULTS: The mean overall actual percent reduction of FEV1 and FVC differed significantly from the expected mean overall percent reduction of FEV1 and FVC (P=0.000 and P=0.001, respectively). The actual values were lower than the predicted values using the given formula. In group and subgroup analysis, the mean actual percent reduction of FEV1 and FVC differed significantly from the mean expected percent reduction of FEV1 and FVC in Groups I and II of patients (P<0.01), but no significant differences were observed in Group III of patients (P>0.05). No significant differences between expected and actual mean percent reduction of FEV1 and FVC was also observed in patients of Groups I and II, when lung or lobar atelectasis, respectively, was noted at preoperative chest X-ray (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Only when a segmental bronchus was obstructed at the preoperative bronchoscopy or when lobar or lung atelectasis was the result of the main or lobar bronchus obstruction, the estimated, using the proposed formula, expected percent reduction of FEV1 and FVC values were close to the actual postoperative percent reduction of FEV1 and FVC.     

应用自体肺移植技术治疗上中中心型肺癌

目的 探讨应用自体肺移植技术治疗上叶中中的可行性。方法 ２例作双袖状右上中叶联合肺叶切除,因支气管切除过和戒肺动脉切除过长,吻合张力过大,做下肺静脉切断,肺短时间离体后作下叶重植,将下肺静脉移下于上肺静残端。２例右上叶肺主斜裂,无法进行双袖状肺叶切除术,行全肺切除后,在器械台上行肿瘤切除,下叶修剪后重植于胸腔内。结果 随访至１９９９年１２月,第１、３、４例患者已分别无瘤存活３１、１８和１３个月。第     

Carinal resection for bronchogenic carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of carinal resection for bronchogenic carcinoma in our institute. From 1981 to 1999, 24 carinal resection were performed for squamous cell carcinoma (n = 19), adenoid cystic carcinoma (n = 2), small cell carcinoma (n = 1), adenocarcinoma (n = 1), and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (n = 1). Nineteen underwent sleeve pneumonectomy, 2 had carinal resection without lung resection, 2 had carinal resection with right middle and lower lobectomy, and 1 had wedge pneumonectomy. In the patients with sleeve or wedge pneumonectomy, there were 5 operative death and 3 patients had survived for more than 3 years. Two patients with low-grade malignant tumors underwent carinal resection without lung resection and survived more than 10 years. We believe that limited carinal resection for low-grade malignant tumors are safe and valuable procedure. Careful selection of patients with sleeve or wedge pneumonectomy is mandatory.     

应用自体肺重植技术治疗上叶中心型肺癌

目的 探讨应用自体肺重植技术治疗上叶中心型肺癌的可行性。方法 ２例作双袖状右上叶中联合肺叶切除，因主支气管或肺动脉切除过长，吻龛和力过大，遂切断我脉，肺短时间离体后作下叶重植，将下肺静脉移植在上肺静脉残端。２例左上叶肺癌部分侵及斜裂，无法进行双袖状肺叶切除术，作全肺切除后，在器械台上行肿瘤切针修剪后的下叶肺组织重植。结果 随访至２０００年２月，２例病人已分别无瘤存活３３和２０个月，生活质量良好。１     

Modification of the Arterial Anastomotic Technique Improves Survival in a Porcine Single Lung Transplant Model

Background: Lung transplantation is a valuable therapeutic option for selected patients with end-stage pulmonary disease. However, this treatment is complicated by ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) of the lung in 10–20% of the recipients.

We developed an unilateral porcine lung transplant model to study IRI and describe our experience with two different arterial anastomotic techniques.

Material & methods: Twenty four domestic pigs [n = 6 χ (donor + recipient)/group] were used in this study. Donor lungs were harvested using an antegrade flush with cold Perfadex® and stored in the same solution for ± 8 hours. Recipient animals underwent a left thoracotomy. After native pneumonectomy, the left donor lung was transplanted in the following order: 1. left atrial cuff; 2. bronchus; 3 pulmonary artery. 2 The outcome in recipients from historical groups differing in anastomotic technique was compared. An end-to-end anastomosis on the left pulmonary artery was performed in group I versus a patch anastomosis on the main pulmonary artery in group II. One hour after reperfusion, the right pulmonary artery and main bronchus were ligated forcing the recipient to survive on the transplanted lung only. The animals were further observed for 6 hours.

Results: Survival 6 hours after exclusion of the right lung was 33% (2/6) in group I versus 83% (5/6) in group II. Animals in group I died of right heart failure manifested by acute dilation of the right ventricle following ligation of the hilum of the right lung.

Conclusion: Single lung transplantation with exclusion of the contralateral native lung is a critical model. Arterial end-to-end anastomosis resulted in an increased right ventricular afterload. The use of a patch technique improved the compliance of the arterial anastomosis and decreased early mortality. This transplant model is currently used in our laboratory to assess new methods for pulmonary preservation.     

Bronchoplastic procedures for bronchial carcinoma

In a 22-year period from 1962 to 1984, 51 patients with malignant lung disease had a sleeve resection performed. In 33% of the patients, pneumonectomy was contraindicated because of limited lung function. The operative mortality was 8%. Six per cent of the patients developed complications after the operation. The 5-year survival of the total group of patients was 30%. Patients with lesions classified as stage 1 and stage 2 had the best prognosis, with a 5- and 10-year survival of 43.5% and 27%, respectively. In patients classified as stage 3 and stage 4, the 5- and 10-year survival was 20%. A postoperative measurement of regional ventilation and perfusion indicated that the function of the remaining lung was presumably undisturbed by the operation. Also, the vital capacity and FEV 1 were only minimally reduced as a result of the operation. The amount of functional lung tissue spared by the operation compared to pneumonectomy was estimated to 39%. Because of these functional results and the promising 5-year survival figures, we suggest that sleeve lobectomy should be the operation of choice for tumors localized to the upper lobe orifice involving the main bronchus.     

Bronchial carcinoid tumors

Forty-six patients with bronchial carcinoid tumors were operated on over a 37-year period. The results were reviewed with special reference to presenting complaint, histological diagnosis, location of the tumor, lymphatic involvement, and type of surgical resection. Age at operation ranged from 9 to 86 years (mean, 43.6 years). Presenting symptoms were hemoptysis in 21 instances, chronic cough in 17, and pneumonia in 15. The primary tumor was within the main bronchus in 17 patients. Twenty-one patients required pneumonectomy, and 20 had lobectomy or bilobectomy . Nine of the patients under-going pneumonectomy had severely damaged lung tissue distal to the lesion in the main bronchus. Six patients had metastases to hilar nodes. Four patients died of carcinoid tumor, but none with metastases died of carcinoid tumor. This series confirms the low malignancy potential of bronchial carcinoid tumors, even in the presence of lymphatic involvement. Although conservative resection is an attractive surgical option, only 10 of the 46 (22%) were potential candidates for such intervention. Standard surgical resection resulted in "cure" in 90% of the patients in the series.     

Bronchoplasty and pulmonary arterioplasty with lobectomy in the treatment of central type lung carcinoma]

From 1982 to 1989, bronchoplasty or segmental bronchoplasty and pulmonary arterioplasty in combination with lobectomy and segmentectomy were performed for 9 patients with central type lung carcinoma. Lobectomy with sleeve excision of the bronchus and the pulmonary artery was done in 3 patients, of which one had bilobectomy plus one segmentectomy with segmental bronchoplasty, lobectomy with wedge excision of the bronchus and the pulmonary artery in 2, lobectomy with wedge excision of the bronchus and sleeve excision of the pulmonary artery in 2, lobectomy with sleeve excision of the bronchus and wedge excision of the pulmonary artery in 1, and regular lobectomy with sleeve excision of the pulmonary artery in 1. Histological examination showed that 5 patients had squamous cell carcinoma, 2 adenocarcinoma, 1 small cell carcinoma, and 1 alveolar cell carcinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. Follow-up showed that 1 patient lived for more than 5 years, 2 more than 2 years, 1 more than 1 year, and 5 less than 1 year.     

Carcinoid Tumors of the Lung

Resection of typical bronchial carcinoid was carried out in 203 patients. The average age was 48 years, and the sex distribution was approximately equal. Bronchoscopy was the most definitive diagnostic procedure, even though 15% of the tumors were located in the segmental bronchus or beyond. Conservative resection including local removal of the lesion was the treatment of choice, but distal suppuration and location of the tumor necessitated pneumonectomy in 54 (27%) of the patients. The incidence of metastasis was 5% (11 patients), and the overall hospital mortality was 3%. Of patients who qualified for follow-up, 94% survived 5 years, and of those who were asymptomatic preoperatively, 98% survived 5 years. The 10- and 25-year survival rates for the group as a whole were 87 and 66%, respectively.     

Challenging lung isolation secondary to aberrant tracheobronchial anatomy

Aberrant tracheobronchial anatomy is reported at an incidence of approximately 10% and most frequently involves the segmental and subsegmental bronchi. The most relevant abnormality to the practice of anesthesiology is the presence of a tracheal bronchus. Although typically an asymptomatic finding during bronchoscopy, a tracheal bronchus has important implications for airway management and lung isolation. Coexisting abnormalities may further complicate lung isolation. We describe a patient with a tracheal bronchus, coexisting with a left-shifted carina and apically retracted left mainstem bronchus, presenting for right extrapleural pneumonectomy. Attempts to place a left-sided double-lumen endotracheal tube were unsuccessful. We discuss our solution, review the literature, and present potential solutions for lung isolation in patients with a tracheal bronchus.     

Risk analysis and long-term survival in patients undergoing resection of T4 lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify the risk group of patients with T4 lung cancer who could more likely benefit from surgical resection. METHODS: Between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1998, 77 patients underwent pulmonary resection for T4 lung cancer: lobectomy (n = 20), bilobectomy (n = 4) and pneumonectomy (n = 53). The T4 sites of mediastinal involvement were: Intrapericardiac portions of the pulmonary artery (n = 30), left atrium (n = 19), aorta (n = 8), superior vena cava (n = 8), carina (n = 7), the esophagus (n = 8) and the vertebral body (n = 6). Ten patients had multiple neoplastic nodules in the same lobe of the lung. RESULTS: Overall survival rates at 1, 2 and 3 years were 46, 31 and 21%, respectively. Factors adversely affecting survival with univariate analysis included the localization of tumours in the lower lobe (P = 0.04) and both the involvement of superior and inferior mediastinal lymph nodes (P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis included two factors adversely affecting survival: the location of the primary tumour and the nodal stations involved. Regression tree analysis classified the patients into low-risk group (primary tumour in upper lobe or in main stem bronchus and pN0 or pN1 or superior or inferior mediastinal nodes involved), intermediate-risk group (primary tumour in upper lobe or in main stem bronchus and both superior and inferior mediastinal nodes involved, primary tumour in inferior lobe and pN0 or pN1 or inferior mediastinal nodes involved) and high-risk group (primary tumour in inferior lobe and both superior and inferior nodes involved). The 3-year survival rates were 36% for the low-risk group, 4% for the intermediate-risk group and 0% for the high-risk group (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with T4 lung cancer, the surgery can justify itself for tumours in the upper lobe or in the main stem bronchus and with pN0 or pN1.     

Diagnosis and management of major tracheobronchial injuries

From 1968 to 1978, 14 patients were treated for major tracheal or bronchial injury. Five injuries resulted from blunt trauma and nine from penetrating injury. Of the 5 patients with injury due to blunt trauma, three had avulsions of the right main bronchus from the trachea. In 2 of them, the injury was associated with stellate tears of the distal trachea and bronchus. The simple avulsion was repaired by a primary anastomosis of the right main bronchus to the distal trachea. For the other 2 patients, treatment consisted of right pneumonectomy. The remaining 2 patients in this group had complete transection of the trachea and underwent primary repair. Of the 9 patients with a penetrating injury, 4 had lacerations of the cervical trachea which were treated with neck exploration and tracheostomy. Three patients with partial transections of the cervical or upper mediastinal trachea were treated by primary closure. The other 2 patients had gunshot wounds to the distal right lateral trachea, which were treated by right thoracotomy and primary closure. There were no deaths, and the subsequent course was generally good in all patients.     

Resection of tracheal carina for lung cancer. Procedure, complications, and mortality

We studied 20 patients with lung cancer that invaded the tracheal carina who were operated on during a recent 12-year period. Fifteen patients underwent sleeve pneumonectomy, two had pneumonectomy, one had lobectomy with wedge resection of the carina, and two patients had sleeve resection of the carina followed by reconstruction of the carina. There were two patients with postsurgical stage IIIA lung cancer, 15 with stage IIIB, and three with stage IV disease that involved intrapulmonary metastases. However, the operations of 13 patients were curative resections in which the surgical margin was negative for disease. Sleeve pneumonectomy was performed only in the last 3 years of the study period, after we had confirmed the safety and good results of bronchoplastic surgery by our experience of 100 cases of sleeve lobectomy. Hence, the period of follow-up in this group is too short to assess long-term survival. Eleven patients are alive, three died within 1 month after operation (15%), three died in the hospital beyond 1 month after the operation, and three died after discharge from hospital. Nine of the 11 surviving patients have no evidence of disease 1 month to 2 1/2 years after the operation, but two are alive with supraclavicular lymph node metastases. The 1-year and 2-year survival rates for 17 cases (excluding the three operative deaths) were both 59% by the Kaplan-Meier method. Two different methods were used to adjust the difference of calibers of the trachea and the bronchus. The first method involved the shift of the edge of the cartilagonous portion of the bronchus against the edge of the cartilaginous portion of the trachea and the other involved cutting the tracheal wall as a wedge-shaped piece to shorten the diameter of the tracheal caliber. To prevent complications after resection of the tracheal carina in 11 recent cases with sleeve pneumonectomy, anastomoses were protected by a pedicle fat flap nourished by internal thoracic artery and vein. No postoperative complications of anastomoses developed in any of these cases.     

双肺移植术后支气管吻合口狭窄的治疗体会

目的 总结肺移植术后支气管吻合口狭窄的治疗经验。方法 1例接受双肺移植术的患者术后发生双侧支气管吻合口粘膜坏死和狭窄。经过13个月的球囊导管扩张（22次）和激光烧灼治疗（5次），效果不显著，术后11个月。在使用异丙酚的情况下结合局部麻醉行硬气管镜治疗，用不同口径的中金属空圆柱管做扩张器，左侧治疗2次，右侧治疗3次。结果 左侧支气管吻合口直径维持在8-10mm，以后未再扩张，右侧扩张效果差，右上支气管开口闭死，右中间干虽能勉强扩开，但造影证实其远端以下支气管管腔闭死，后因右肺的反复炎症，不得已行右全肺切除，切下的右肺及支气管壁均有结核病变。现患者一般情况尚可，生活自理。结论 肺移植术后的支气管吻合口狭窄与术后支气管缺血，大剂量使用激素和结核感染有关，应早期在神志镇静，局部麻醉下通过气管镜对狭窄进行治疗，中空金属圆柱状扩张器的效果优于单纯的球囊扩张。     

Extended sleeve lobectomy for interlobar lymph node metastasis invading the bronchus from peripheral lung cancer

Although extended sleeve lobectomy has been used as an alternative to pneumonectomy for the treatment of centrally located lung cancer, the validity of this surgical procedure is unclear in patients with peripheral lung cancer with interlobar lymph node metastasis invading the bronchus. We herein report four patients with peripheral lung cancer in the left lower lobe who underwent extended sleeve lobectomy consequent to interlobar lymph node metastasis. The tumor and metastasized lymph node was extirpated en bloc with division of the main bronchus and upper division bronchus, and those bronchi were anastomosed using the telescope method. All patients were doing well without recurrence. Extended sleeve lobectomy may be applicable to patients with peripheral lung cancer with interlobar lymph node metastasis invading the bronchus to avoid pneumonectomy.     

支气管内型错构瘤的诊断及治疗

４例支气管内错构瘤占同期肺错构瘤的９．５％（４／４２）。管内型与肺内型错构瘤是病理形态上相同而发生部位不同一类肿瘤，前者发生在较大的支气管内，引起肺内继发改变，后者发生在细小支气管内，表现为肺内孤立，边缘清晰，密度增高的肿物。管内型错构瘤术前较难确诊，易与中心型肺癌混淆，手术系本病治疗方法，因疾病过程有反复炎症，肺门淋巴结与血管形成紧密粘连，术中需仔细操作以防止血管损伤。     

Successful lung autotransplantation for central non-small-cell lung cancer: report of a case

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) confined to the lung is generally treated by surgical resection. The extent of resection is determined by the location of the tumor and the patient’s pulmonary function. This report presents a successful lung autotransplantation in a man with NSCLC that could not tolerate pneumonectomy or sleeve lobectomy. Right upper and middle bilobectomies were performed, the right lower lobe was resected and retrograde perfusion of Raffinose low-potassium dextran solution (4 °C) was administered. The isolated lower lobe was reimplanted by anastomosis of the bronchus, pulmonary artery, and vein. The patient was cancer-free 1 year after the surgery. Lung autotransplantation can therefore be successfully performed for selected patients with central NSCLC.     

Left upper division sleeve segmentectomy for early stage squamous cell carcinoma of the segmental bronchus: report of two cases.

Early hilar lung cancer is rare. It is usually curable if properly diagnosed and treated. We recently encountered two cases of early stage squamous cell carcinoma of the left upper division bronchus, which responded well to left upper division sleeve segmentectomy. Case 1 was a 74-year-old man, a heavy smoker, who was referred to our hospital after sputum cytology had resulted in a positive diagnosis while receiving inpatient care for heart failure at another hospital. Bronchoscopy revealed a thickened tumor at the spur between left B(1+2) and B(3). Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed by forceps biopsy via bronchoscopy. Left upper division sleeve segmentectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. Since the bronchi to be anastomosed to each other were greatly different in diameter, telescoped anastomosis was used. His postoperative course was uneventful, and he continues to show good respiratory condition, without any evidence of recurrence 25 months after surgery. Case 2 was a 60-year-old man, a heavy smoker, who was identified by sputum cytology as needing detailed examination during a mass screening of high-risk groups for early detection of lung carcinoma. Bronchoscopy revealed a nodular tumor at the orifice of the left upper division bronchus. Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed by forceps biopsy via bronchoscopy. Left upper division sleeve segmentectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. During surgery for this case, the lingular bronchus was dissected obliquely to make its cross-section wide enough to match the diameter of the left upper lobe bronchus to which the former was anastomosed. His postoperative course was uneventful, and he shows good respiratory condition, without any evidence of recurrence five months after surgery. The pathological stage was TisN0M0 (stage 0) in both patients, and their tumors were confirmed as early hilar lung cancer. Sleeve segmentectomy, aimed at radical resection of cancer while preserving lung function, can serve as a standard procedure for surgical treatment of cases of early hilar lung cancer confined to the segmental bronchi.     

Pulmonary resection in patients after pneumonectomy

In 15 patients with a previous pneumonectomy (eight on the right and seven on the left), a new "lesion" developed in the remaining lung. Fourteen had the pneumonectomy for carcinoma (13 men and 1 woman), and 1 woman had a pneumonectomy for blastomycosis. At the second operation (4 months to 16 years after the pneumonectomy), limited resection of a primary or metastatic malignancy was done. The excision ranged from lobectomy to multiple wedges. One patient died on the sixth postoperative day, presumably a cardiac death. Eight patients died 2 to 33 months postoperatively. Six patients are now living: 3 have no evidence of disease (18, 35, and 70 months), and 3 have recurrent disease (26, 41, and 73 months). There is evidence that pulmonary resection after pneumonectomy is feasible with a low operative mortality and that resection of these "secondary" tumors can result in prolonged, worthwhile survival.     

Characteristics and prognosis of resected T3 non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: T3 tumors can be divided into several subgroups depending on the type of anatomical structure invaded: chest wall, mediastinal pleura, or main bronchus. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics and prognosis of each subgroup of T3 tumors. METHODS: The results of surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed for 261 patients with T3 non-small cell lung cancer invading either the mediastinal pleura or parietal pericardium by direct extension (mediastinal pT3, n = 68), or main bronchus (bronchial pT3, n = 68), or chest wall (chest wall pT3, n = 125) that were operated on between 1984 and 1996. Complete resection including radical mediastinal lymph node dissection was intended in all patients. One patient had segmentectomy, 91 had lobectomy (34.9%), and 169 had pneumonectomy (64.8%). One hundred and fifty-eight patients received adjuvant radiation therapy and 7 patients received both adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Actuarial survival curves were drawn using the Kaplan-Meier method and risk factors for late death were identified. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 6.1%. Follow-up was 98% complete. Global 5-year survival was 28%, with survival being not significantly different among the three subgroups: 34.9%, 30.6%, and 22.5% (p = 0.19) in the bronchial pT3, mediastinal pT3, and chest wall pT3 subgroups, respectively. Resection margins were microscopically invaded in 33 patients (12.6%). Seventy-four patients had N1 involvement (28.4%) and 78 patients had N2 involvement (29.8%). N0 involvement was more prevalent in the chest wall pT3 subgroup, whereas N1 involvement was more prevalent in the bronchial pT3 subgroup and N2 involvement was more prevalent among patients with mediastinal invasion. Pathologic factors influencing the 5-year survival were tumor size (p = 0.03) and N involvement (p = 0.003). Histology, type of surgical resection (lobectomy versus pneumonectomy), and use of adjuvant therapy did not influence survival significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Five-year survival was not significantly different among the three subgroups of pT3 non-small cell lung cancer, although bronchial pT3 tumors tended to have a better prognosis and chest wall pT3 tumors tended to have a worse prognosis. The pathologic characteristics of each pT3 subgroup seems different. Further research is warranted to explore the pathologic and biological factors influencing prognosis for each pT3 subgroup.