Iterative surgical resections for local recurrent and second primary bronchogenic carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience with repeated pulmonary resection in patients with local recurrent and second primary bronchogenic carcinoma, to assess operative mortality and late outcome. METHODS: The medical records of all patients who underwent a second lung resection for local recurrent and second primary bronchogenic carcinoma from 1978 through 1998 were reviewed. RESULTS: There were 27 patients. They constituted 2.5% of 1059 patients who had undergone lung resection for bronchogenic carcinoma in the same period. Twelve patients (1.1%) (group 1) had a local recurrence that developed at a median interval of 24 months (range 4-83).The first pulmonary resection was lobectomy in ten patients and segmentectomy in two. The second operation consisted of completion pneumonectomy in ten cases, completion lobectomy in one and wedge resection of the right lower lobe after a right upper lobectomy in one. The other 15 patients (1.4%) (group 2) had a new primary lung cancer that developed at a median interval of 45 months (range 21-188).The first pulmonary resection was lobectomy in 12 patients, bilobectomy in one and pneumonectomy in two. The second pulmonary resection was controlateral lobectomy in seven patients, controlateral sleeve lobectomy in two, controlateral pneumonectomy in 1, controlateral wedge resection in four and completion pneumonectomy in one. Overall hospital mortality was 7.4%, including one intraoperative and one postoperative death in group 1 and 2, respectively. Five-year survival after the second operation was 15.5 and 43% with a median survival of 26 and 49 months in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P=ns). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term results justify complete work-up of patients with local recurrent and second primary bronchogenic carcinoma. Treatment should be surgical, if there is no evidence of distant metastasis and the patients are in good health. Early detection of second lesions is possible with an aggressive follow-up conducted maximally at 4 months intervals for the first 2 years and 6 months intervals thereafter throughout life.     

Surgical treatment of bronchial carcinoid: report of seven cases

Seven patients with pulmonary carcinoid including three with typical carcinoid and four with atypical carcinoid were reported. There were 3 males and 4 females, with an age range of 37 to 80 years. All patients with typical carcinoid had pathological stage I. Of the patients with atypical carcinoid, one patient had stage I, two stage IIIA and one stage IIIB. All but two patients underwent lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Bronchoplastic operation or right pneumonectomy were performed in the two patients. All but one patient underwent absolute or relative curative operation. Only one patient died on the 4th postoperative day. One patient with atypical carcinoid died of cancer recurrence 4 years after surgery. One patient died of breast cancer. One patient underwent surgery for metachronous multiple lung cancer, and he is doing well without recurrence. In conclusion, a limited operation is thought to be acceptable only in patients with typical carcinoid in a peripheral lesion without lymph node metastasis. Lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection is necessary for the atypical carcinoid case.     

Results of pulmonary resections in elderly patients with primary lung cancer

Forty-one patients over the age of 70 years, who had been operated upon for a primary lung cancer during 13 years until August, 1988, were reviewed. There were 32 males and 9 females, among whom the oldest was an 85-year-old male. These patients composed of 28.7% of the patients who had undergone a resectional lung surgery due to a primary lung cancer during the same period of time. These included 26 patients of stage I, 11 of IIIA, 3 of IIIB and 2 of IV. Twenty-two of them were with a squamous cell carcinoma, 18 with an adenocarcinoma, and one with a small cell carcinoma. Thirty-two patients underwent a lobectomy, including two undergoing a sleeve lobectomy. Three patients underwent a left pneumonectomy, and seven underwent a segmentectomy or a wedge resection. A combined chest wall resection was done in 5 of them. One patient underwent the second surgery for a metastasis to the contralateral lung following a left pneumonectomy. Our safety criteria of pulmonary functions for surgery were as follows; a predicted postoperative %VC greater than 40% for any type of pulmonary resection, a preoperative FEV1.0 greater than 1,000 ml for lobectomy and that greater than 1,300 ml for left pneumonectomy. These criteria were identical to those for patients younger than 70 years of age. But some patients even with respiratory functions slightly less than these lower limits did tolerate lobectomies or pneumonectomies. The latter patients, however, cleared what we call "one-flight test" as well as the other patients did.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Pulmonary Resection for Non-small-cell Lung Cancer in Patients on Hemodialysis: Clinical Outcome and Long-term Results

Patients on hemodialysis (HD) who undergo surgery represent a high risk group requiring careful perioperative management to avoid electrolyte imbalance and hemodynamic instability. The aim of the study was to analyze the postoperative outcome in terms of complications and survival of a group of patients on HD who had undergone pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Six patients on HD underwent seven pulmonary resections at our institution from 1998 to 2003. The underlying kidney disease was nephrosclerosis in two patients and glomerulonephritis in four. The mean levels of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were 107 ± 11.5 mg/dl and 7.9 ± 0.64 mg/dl, respectively. The mean preoperative PO₂ and FEV₁ were 77.6 ± 2.4 mmHg and 2.4 ± 0.16 liters, respectively. The histologic diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma in four cases and adenocarcinoma in three. One patient underwent two lung resections in 4 years for two primary lung cancers. Five patients underwent lobectomy, one underwent a wedge resection, and in one case pneumonectomy was performed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. There was no operative mortality. Postoperatively, atrial fibrillation occurred in two patients associated with sputum retention in both, and two other patients had hyperkalemia (complication rate 57%). One patient died of cardiac complications 27 months after surgery. The remaining five patients are currently alive with no evidence of disease. Patients on HD who undergo lung resection have a high rate of postoperative complications. Although the underlying disease influences long-term survival, radical lung resection in NSCLC patients is recommended in selected cases. Careful metabolic, hematologic, and pharmaceutical management is mandatory during the perioperative period.     

Long-term Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of the right heart after major lung resections.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of major lung resections on cardiac function in the medium and long term have not been thoroughly evaluated. We have studied right heart function with serial Doppler echocardiography in patients undergoing lobectomy and pneumonectomy during 4 years of follow-up after surgery. METHODS: Thirty-six patients undergoing lobectomy and 15 receiving pneumonectomy were evaluated with one- and two-dimensional Doppler standard transthoracic echocardiography before surgery and 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 4 years postoperatively. We have studied the right midventricular diastolic diameter (RVDD), the right ventricle free wall thickness, the tricuspid valve insufficiency (TVI) and regurgitation jet (TRJ), and the pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). RESULTS: None of the patients died within the first postoperative year. After lobectomy there were no significant modifications of any variable at any time. RVDD progressively increased after pneumonectomy (26.5+/-2.2mm preoperatively vs 34.3+/-7.6 at 4 years; p<0.001). Four years after surgery all patients undergoing pneumonectomy had moderate TVI while only 55% of patients receiving lobectomy showed it (low grade in 50% and moderate in 5%). In this group of patients PASP increased from 26.1+/-2.6 mmHg preoperatively to 34.3+/-7.6 mmHg at 4 years (p<0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricle modifications are clearly evident after pneumonectomy and even if they do not show a clear clinical impact they should not be neglected.     

不停跳冠状动脉旁路移植术联合同期肺切除术

目的总结不停跳冠状动脉旁路移植术联合同期肺切除术的经验。方法7例不稳定性心绞痛或心肌梗死合并可切除肺部病变患者,实施不停跳冠状动脉旁路移植术联合同期肺切除术。所有患者术前行冠状动脉造影证实不宜行冠状动脉成形术或支架植入术。采用胸骨正中切口,不停跳冠状动脉旁路移植术后行肺切除术。左上肺叶切除2例,右上肺叶切除1例,右上、中叶切除1例,右下肺叶切除1例,左侧肺减容术1例,双侧肺减容术1例。结果本组无住院死亡,但有1例后期死亡。术后并发症包括1例胸骨哆开再次开胸固定、1例房颤。病理检查结果5例肺部恶性肿瘤、2例慢性阻塞性肺气肿。患者随访2～31个月,所有患者术后没有再次出现心肌缺血症状,1例行右肺上、中叶切除患者术后19个月出现局部复发。结论胸骨正中切口不停跳冠状动脉旁路移植术联合同期肺切除术是安全有效的并能降低术后并发症。     

单向四孔法全胸腔镜肺叶切除术治疗非小细胞肺癌的临床研究

目的探讨单向4孔法全胸腔镜肺叶切除术治疗非小细胞肺癌的可行性、安全性。方法回顾性分析2007年1月至2010年12月上海市胸科医院采用单向式全胸腔镜肺叶切除治疗428例非小细胞肺癌患者的临床资料,其中男186例,女242例;年龄33～78岁。术前临床诊断为早期非小细胞肺癌。428例中行右肺上叶切除134例,右肺中叶切除48例,右肺下叶切除98例,右肺中下叶切除4例,左肺上叶切除72例,左肺下叶切除72例。将428例患者按手术方式分为单向3孔法组(300例)和单向4孔法组(128例);比较两组的临床效果。结果412例在全胸腔镜下完成肺叶切除术,16例中转常规开胸手术(中转开胸比率3.7%)。平均手术时间132.1(120～180)min,平均手术切口长度3.7(3～5)cm,平均术中出血量150.0(50～800)ml;两组患者平均拔管时间、术中出血量、术后住院时间差异均无统计学意义,但4孔法组较3孔法组手术时间缩短,且差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。16例中转开胸患者接受术中输血。死亡5例,于术后1个月内分别死于严重肺部感染、肺栓塞和急性脑梗死。术后病理诊断:鳞状细胞癌52例,腺癌340例,腺鳞癌20例,低分化癌8例,大细胞癌6例,类癌2例。术后出现持续肺漏气4例,脓胸2例,肺部感染4例,心律失常26例,肺栓塞2例,乳糜胸2例,急性脑梗死2例。3年总生存率为83.6%(358/428)。结论单向式4孔法全胸腔镜肺叶切除术治疗非小细胞肺癌的有效性和安全性满意,符合肺癌手术的治疗规范。单向4孔法还能大大提高手术流畅程度和淋巴结清扫程度。     

Prognostic evaluation of tracheobronchial reconstruction for bronchogenic carcinoma

Fifty-two patients have undergone tracheobronchial reconstruction for bronchogenic carcinomas over a 20 year period and have been evaluated from the view point of prognosis. Five-year survival rates of the patients undergoing reconstructive operations were as follows: 35% for the total group, 50% for those with squamous cell carcinoma, and 64% for those with Stage I and II disease. No patients with adenocarcinoma or Stage III disease have survived more than 5 years. However, the number of patients with early adenocarcinoma was too small for us to conclude that the histologic type per se affected survival. Six of eight patients with sleeve lobectomy and pulmonary artery reconstruction died within 2 years, 7 months postoperatively. Five of seven patients died within 1 year after carinal reconstruction. However, two are alive at 4 months and 2 years, 9 months after left or right sleeve pneumonectomy. In summary, any types of lobectomy or pneumonectomy with reconstruction of the tracheobronchial tree can be conducted in patients with Stage I and II lung cancer. Sleeve lobectomy with pulmonary artery reconstruction can be an alternative to pneumonectomy when pneumonectomy is contraindicated because of low cardiopulmonary reserve. In patients undergoing reconstruction of the carina, prophylactic radiation therapy may be necessary during the postoperative course.     

Pneumonectomy for unilateral destroyed lung with pulmonary hypertension due to systemic blood flow through broncho-pulmonary shunts.

OBJECTIVE: Three decades ago, a few patients with pulmonary hypertension and respiratory failure associated with a unilateral destroyed lung were reported to have been treated by a pneumonectomy. In the present study, we investigated the clinical features, operative indications, and results of four cases with pulmonary hypertension that underwent a pneumonectomy for a unilateral destroyed lung. METHODS: Four patients (three males, one female) with a destroyed lung and pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary arterial pressure >25 mmHg) were treated by a pneumonectomy between 1999 and 2002 at our institution. Their mean age was 59 years old (range 42-68 years). The underlying lung disease, Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea scale, respiratory function, arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary arterial pressure, preoperative management, operative procedure, and postoperative course for each were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The underlying lung disease that caused the destroyed lung was bronchiectasis in two patients, chronic empyema with bronchopleural fistula in one, and necrotizing pneumonia in one. The average mean pulmonary artery pressure was 33 mmHg (range 25-42 mmHg), which decreased to 27 mmHg (range 19-36 mmHg) after occlusion of the pulmonary artery in the affected lung. Following the pneumonectomy, the average mean pulmonary artery pressure was decreased to 17 mmHg (range 11-25 mmHg). Chronic inflammatory symptoms and functional impairments (showed by blood gas analysis, pulmonary arterial pressure, or MRC dyspnea scale) improved post-pneumonectomy. There was no operative death, though postoperative cardiorespiratory failure occurred in one patient. All patients were discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that a pneumonectomy procedure may be indicated for selected patients with a unilateral destroyed lung and pulmonary hypertension due to systemic blood flow though broncho-pulmonary shunts.     

Assessment of induction therapy and resection in stage IIIb non-small cell lung cancer]

Twelve patients with stage IIIb non-small cell lung cancer underwent induction therapy and resection from January 1990 to July 1998. They were divided into two groups; group A (n = 5) received two (to four) preresectional cisplatin and videsine chemotherapy, group B (n = 7) received chemoradiotherapy (radiation with concurrent low-dose-daily cisplatin). All patients in both groups had clinically down-stage and had no major side effects preventing surgery. 3 patients underwent radical pneumonectomy and 9 patients had radical lobectomy with no operative mortality. In 9 patients the disease was pathologically downstaged. Overall five-year survival was 27%, while in group A it was 50%. In group B 2-year survival was 18% and the longest survivor had pulmonary recurrence four years after surgery. Our data show better prognosis in group A than in group B. This results suggest that chemotherapy may be superior pre-resectional therapy to chemoradiotherapy.     

Sleeve lobectomy for bronchogenic cancers: factors affecting survival

BACKGROUND: Sleeve lobectomy is a parenchyma-sparing procedure that is particularly valuable in patients with cardiac or pulmonary contraindications to pneumonectomy. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with sleeve lobectomy for bronchogenic cancer and to investigate factors associated with long-term survival. METHODS: Between January 1981 and June 2001, 169 patients underwent sleeve lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 139) or carcinoid tumor (n = 30), including 61 with a preoperative contraindication to pneumonectomy. Mean age was 59 +/- 14 years (range, 19 to 82 years). Vascular sleeve resection was performed in 11 patients. The remaining bronchial stump contained microscopic disease in 7 patients. RESULTS: Major bronchial anastomotic complications occurred in 6 (3.6%) patients: one was fatal postoperatively, three required reoperation, and two were managed conservatively. In the non-small-cell lung cancer group, operative mortality was 2.9% (4 of 139), and overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 52% and 28%, respectively. Six patients experienced local recurrence after complete resection. By multivariate analysis, two factors significantly and independently influenced survival: nodal status (N0 or N1 versus N2; p = 0.01) and microscopic invasion of the bronchial stump (p = 0.02). In the carcinoid tumor group, there were no operative deaths, and overall 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 100% and 92%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sleeve lobectomy achieves local tumor control and is associated with low mortality and bronchial anastomotic complication rates. Long-term survival is excellent for carcinoid tumors. For patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, N2 disease or incomplete resection is associated with a worse prognosis; outcome is not affected by presence of a preoperative contraindication to pneumonectomy.     

结核毁损肺单侧全肺切除的麻醉处理

目的探讨结核毁损肺单侧全肺切除的麻醉处理. 方法 80例结核毁损肺行单侧全肺切除病人,术前肺功能减损轻度者30例(G组),中度者35例(M组),重度者15例(S组).56例行左侧全肺切除:44例使用双腔支气管导管(Carlon管10例、White管20例、左侧Robertshaw管8例、右侧Robertshaw管6例)、右单腔支气管导管7例、气管导管5例.24例行右侧全肺切除:21例使用双腔支气管导管(Carlon管19例、左侧Robertshaw管2例)、左单腔支气管导管2例、气管导管1例.痰量>50 ml/d的16例病人中,采用双腔支气管导管7例、右单腔支气管导管7例、左单腔支气管导管2例. 结果 G组、M组未发生围手术期并发症,S组术后发生急性呼吸衰竭5例(33.33%).痰量>50 ml/d的病人中,2例使用左单腔支气管导管的病人术后均发生健侧支气管病灶播散;而使用双腔支气管导管和右单腔支气管导管未发生结核播散. 结论结核毁损肺重度肺功能减损者,术前FEV1占预计值的百分比<35%,MVV占预计值的百分比<40%,行单侧全肺切除手术要慎重.术前痰量＞50 ml/d的病人,应选择双腔支气管导管或右单腔支气管导管,确保两肺分隔满意,以防止术后健侧支气管病灶播散.     

Pneumonectomy for nontuberculous mycobacterial infections

Background

Pneumonectomy is considered in the treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial infections when an entire lung is affected. However, this procedure carries high morbidity. We report on our experience in using pneumonectomy for treating patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.

Methods

Between 1983 and 2002, 53 patients infected with nontuberculous mycobacteria underwent 55 pulmonary resections. Of these patients, 11 (3 men, 8 women) underwent pneumonectomy (5 right, 6 left). Median age was 57 years (range, 43 to 69 years). Mycobacterium avium complex disease occurred in 10 patients and Mycobacterium abscessus disease in 1. Indications for pneumonectomy included multiple cavities in one lung and destruction of an entire lung. The bronchial stump was covered with a latissimus dorsi muscle flap in 7 patients and with an intercostal pedicle flap in 2.

Results

Operating time ranged from 142 to 477 minutes (median, 360 minutes). The median intraoperative blood loss was 555 mL (range, 130 to 1,245 mL). There was no operative mortality. Bronchopleural fistula occurred in 3 patients. All fistulas were observed after right pneumonectomy, and were treated by reclosure of the bronchus. Empyema occurred in 1 patient, who was treated with irrigation. All patients achieved sputum-negative status after surgery. Two late deaths occurred. One patient died of respiratory failure 11 months after surgery. A second patient, the only patient who had recurrent disease, died of respiratory failure 4 years postoperatively.

Conclusions

Despite bronchial stump protection, right pneumonectomy carries a risk for bronchopleural fistula. Nonetheless, pneumonectomy can result in high cure rates in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.     

Pneumonectomy in children.

OBJECTIVES: Surgical literature carries relatively scant information on pneumonectomy in children. We reviewed our experience over 7 years, determined the risk/benefit ratio and compared our experience with reports from the literature. METHODS: The records of children undergoing pneumonectomy, 14 years and younger, over a 7-year period from January 1991 to December 1997, are analysed, the techniques used to determine the need for and extent of surgery are studied, whilst the problems and outcome of surgery in this age group are determined. RESULTS: Fifty-nine children, 40 males, 19 females, aged 6 months to 14 years, average age of 7.5 years, underwent pneumonectomy. A history of pulmonary infection/s and a chest radiograph suggestive of lung destruction were indicators for investigation by bronchography and/or computerized axial tomography of the chest (HRCT scan). This determined the nature and extent of disease and the possibility and extent of surgery required. Bronchus blockers (22), five others in combination with the prone operating position, prone position (six) and a double lumen tube in one, were used to protect the healthy lung at surgery. Spill of pus was recognized once with a bronchus blocker and the prone position used in combination. Six intra-operative complications (10.1%) were recognized: bronchial spill (one) without consequence, conversion of bi-lobectomy to pneumonectomy due to pulmonary artery injury (one), cardiac arrest (with resuscitation, one), bradycardia with hypotension (one), excessive bleeding (one) and intra-pleural spill of debris (one), the last without consequence. Seven post-operative complications (11.8%) occurred: one empyema (sterilized), bleeding one, pulmonary infection two, suspected but unproven broncho-pleural fistulae two, prolonged antibiotics in one, reason unrecorded. One pneumonectomy through an empyema was uncomplicated. The main histological features were bronchiectasis (38), active tuberculosis (eight), end-stage lung (five), collapse and pulmonary haemorrhage (one), lobar emphysema (one). Histology unrecorded (one). No death occurred. All patients left hospital well. CONCLUSIONS: Careful preparation, often including anti-tuberculosis cover, and timing of pneumonectomy are essential. Meticulous anaesthetic and surgical technique and co-operation are critical. Bronchus blockers functioned well but are not without risk. Attention to detail makes pneumonectomy safe in childhood.     

Surgery increased the chance of cure in multi-drug resistant pulmonary tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Medical treatment of multiple drug resistant (MDR) pulmonary tuberculosis is generally quite unsuccessful. Recently, surgical management is increasing and shows promise. We analyzed our experience to identify the benefits and complications of pulmonary resection in MDR pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed in 27 patients undergoing pulmonary resection for MDR pulmonary tuberculosis between January 1994 and March 1998. Their average ages were 40 years and were diagnosed a median of 15 months before surgery. All patients had resistance to an average of 4.4 drugs including isoniazid and rifampin, and had received second line drugs selected according to drug sensitivity test preoperatively. Most patients (92.6%) had cavitary lesions. Bilateral lesions were also identified in 19 patients (70.4%), but the main focus was recognized in one side of the lung. Most patients were indicated to operation for those who could not achieve negative sputum despite adequate medical treatment (n = 16, 59.3%); or for negative patients who had significant pulmonary parenchymal lesion (n = 11, 40.7%) which would have had a high probability of recurrence. Pneumonectomy was done in nine patients, lobectomy in 16 and segmentectomy in two. RESULTS: There was no operative mortality. Morbidity occurred in seven patients (25.9%); prolonged air leakage in three patients, reoperation due to bleeding in two, bronchopleural fistula in one, and reversible blindness in one. The median follow up period was 15 months (range 3-45). Sputum negative conversion was achieved in 22 patients (81.5%) initially. However, continued postoperative chemotherapy could convert to negative in another four patients (14.8%). Only one pneumonectomy patient (3.7%) failed because of considerable contralateral cavity. CONCLUSION: For patients with MDR pulmonary tuberculosis which is localized, and with adequate pulmonary reserve function, surgical pulmonary resection combined with appropriate pre and postoperative anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy can achieve high success rate with acceptable morbidity.     

Video-assisted thoracic surgery for metachronous lung cancer

Of 1,391 patients who underwent operation for primary lung cancer between 2000 and 2009, 50 patients (3.6%) had a past history of pulmonary resection for lung cancer. Three patients underwent completion pneumonectomy by thoracotomy and in the other 47 patients video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) was performed. We considered 42 cases (3 of completion pneumonectomy and 39 of VATS) to be metachronous lung cancer and 8 cases of VATS to be recurrence by detailed histologic assessment. We examined 39 cases of metachronous lung cancer resected by VATS. The patients were aged 68 +/- 8 years and 4 patients were aged 80-years or more. The surgical procedures performed were lobectomy in 4 patients, segmentectomy in 3, and wedge resection in 40. The operation time was 121 +/- 66 minutes and the blood loss was 67 +/- 140 ml. There were no major complications. We registered 6 deaths during follow-up; 3 were due to disease progression and 3 were due to other causes. The survival rate of the 42 patients including 3 patients who underwent completion pneumonectomy was 74.9% at 5 years. Early detection of metachronous lung cancer and surgical resection offers a favorable prognosis.     

Initial experience of video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy with partial removal of the pulmonary artery

A lobectomy with a resection of the pulmonary artery is less invasive than a pneumonectomy. However, it seems to be extremely difficult to perform this technique using video-assisted thoracic surgery with technical limitations because this technique is associated with an increased operative risk even in an open thoracotomy. Between April 2002 and December 2006, a curative video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy including a mediastinal lymphadenectomy was performed in 121 patients with primary non-small cell lung cancer. Five of those patients underwent a thoracoscopic lobectomy with the partial removal and reconstruction of the pulmonary artery. The causes of the pulmonary artery resection included two direct invasions of the artery, two invasions of the arterial branch, and one calcified lymphadenopathy involving the branch. No patients required a blood transfusion. No complications attributable to the technique or mortality were seen. No patients showed an abnormal blood flow through the reconstructed vessel. There were no local recurrences on the pulmonary artery. A video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy including a partial resection and reconstruction of the pulmonary artery is a complex procedure for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. It is feasible when all associated technical issues are properly addressed.     

A study on clinical findings and surgical treatment of pulmonary mycosis

Between 1974 and 1987, 14 patients (10 male and 4 female) underwent thoracotomy for treatment of pulmonary mycosis. They were studied on their clinical findings and surgical treatment. The median age was 48 years (range 19 to 71 years). Fourteen cases consisted of 9 aspergillosis and 5 cryptococcosis. None of them was either debilitated or immunosuppressed before falling ill. Five of the 14 patients had other pulmonary disease and 11 had symptoms; i.e. hemoptysis or bloody sputum in 4 cases, chest pain in 3, fever in 3, cough and sputum in 2. Nine aspergillosis consisted of 4 aspergilloma, 3 aspergillus pneumonia and 2 aspergillus empyema. Three cases of aspergillosis occurred in preexisting cavity. Five cryptococcosis consisted of 3 pseudotumorous, 1 disseminated small nodular, and 1 infiltrative types. Preoperative diagnosis was as follows; pulmonary mycosis 5, pulmonary tuberculosis 4, lung cancer 3, empyema 1 and hydropneumothorax 1. Four patients underwent partial resection, 8 lobectomy, 1 pneumonectomy, 1 muscle prombage and thoracoplasty. The prognosis is satisfactory. All patients are alive and has no recurrence. On histopathological examination, in aspergilloma cases, invasion of aspergillus to surrounding lung tissue was not seen. In addition to well-known fact that blood-borne dissemination hardly occurred in aspergilloma in contrast to cryptococcosis. These findings suggest that aspergilloma and solitary lesion of cryptococcosis should be resected, and adjuvant chemotherapy should be accompanied for cryptococcosis.     

Clinicopathological study of surgically treated cases of tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma

Between 1980 and 2007, five patients were pathologically diagnosed as tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). All five patients were women aged 37–67 years. Four tumors were located in the larger airways, and one tumor was located in the peripheral lung. The following operations were done: bronchoplastic procedures in three (carinal resection with doublebarreled carinoplasty in one, sleeve right pneumonectomy in one, sleeve middle lobectomy in one), left pneumonectomy in one, and left upper lobectomy in one. Three of the five patients have survived for 172, 144, and 10 months after surgery, respectively. The best local treatment for ACC of the major airway is considered to be sleeve resection of the trachea or bronchus in an area where airway reconstruction may not be disturbed and to add postoperative irradiation when there is residual carcinoma at the stump. However, it seems controversial to recommend adjuvant radiotherapy in all patients undergoing resection.     

The changing spectrum of cystic pulmonary lesions requiring surgical resection in infants

Congenital labor emphysema and cystic adenomatoid malformation have been the most common surgically treatable cystic lesions of the lung. With the successful treatment of newborn respiratory distress syndrome, an increased frequency of an acquired form of cystic disease, interstitial pulmonary emphysema, has been observed. Some degree of interstitial pulmonary emphysema is relatively common, and during the years 1980 to 1983 this disease was diagnosed in 372 infants. Seven of these infants, all premature, underwent resection of relatively localized areas of persistent cystic interstitial pulmonary emphysema. Lobectomy or wedge resection was performed in five patients because of their inability to be weaned from the ventilator. A sixth patient with this disease underwent lobectomy for recurrent pneumothoraces. A seventh patient underwent lobectomy because the cystic interstitial pulmonary emphysema produced atelectasis and recurrent infections. All seven patients were extubated by the fourth postoperative day, have been discharged, and are showing respiratory improvement. Within the same period, four infants had congenital lobar emphysema and two had congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation. They were gestational age 36 weeks or older and, although respiratory distress was present to some degree in all six, only one was ventilator dependent at operation. All underwent lobectomy and one infant had a left upper lobe resection and right middle lobectomy on separate occasions for bilateral congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation. All patients with congenital labor emphysema and congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation have been discharged and are doing well. Our results suggest the following conclusions: Persistent interstitial pulmonary emphysema is now the most common indication for pulmonary resection in the newborn period. The anatomic distribution of resected interstitial pulmonary emphysema is similar to that of congenital lobar emphysema. Although only a small fraction (less than 2%) of patients with interstitial pulmonary emphysema require operation, the development of relatively large discrete cystic areas that (1) significantly decrease effective lung volume and produce respirator dependence, (2) produce atelectasis and recurrent infections, or (3) lead to pneumothoraces may make pulmonary resection beneficial. Finally, despite the presence of generalized lung disease in patients with interstitial pulmonary emphysema, these patients can be expected to improve significantly after resection, and the long-term outcome is generally good.