Surgical outcome of patients with lung cancer involving the left atrium.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary and left atrial resection is not yet an established treatment for patients with primary lung cancer involving the left atrium. We investigated the clinical course of patients with primary lung cancer involving the left atrium who were treated with pulmonary resection and partial atrial resection. METHODS: From January 1996 to December 2013, 51 patients underwent extended resection for lung cancer that invaded the surrounding organs. Of these, we focused on 12 patients who underwent surgical treatment for lung cancer involving the left atrium. The clinical course of each of these patients was investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: The most common histological subtype was squamous cell carcinoma. Pneumonectomy was performed in nine patients, and right middle and lower lobectomy was performed in three patients. Complete resection was performed in 11 patients (92 %). Postoperative complications were observed in four patients (33 %)-prolonged air leakage in two patients, broncho-pleural fistula in one patient, and empyema in one patient. There were no surgical deaths. This study involved seven patients with pathological N0-1 disease and five patients with pathological N2 disease. The postoperative 5-year survival rate was 46 % in all patients. The 5-year survival rates in patients with pathological N0-1 disease and N2 disease were 67 and 20 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: Because treatment-related death was not observed and outcome was fair in patients with N0-1 disease, surgical resection for primary lung cancer involving the left atrium may be acceptable in selected patients. Further investigations are required to improve the outcome of surgical treatment for patients with primary lung cancer involving the left atrium.

Effects of anesthetics on early postoperative cognitive outcome and intraoperative cerebral oxygen balance in patients undergoing lung surgery: a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: One-lung ventilation (OLV) may impair cerebral oxygen balance and induce postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). It is unclear whether the type of anesthetic influences the incidence of POCD in patients undergoing OLV. This prospective study compared the incidence of POCD and intraoperative cerebral oxygen desaturation in OLV patients anesthetized with propofol vs sevoflurane during lung surgery. METHODS: There were 148 participants enrolled in this study and randomized equally to either the propofol or the sevoflurane group. Anesthesia was maintained with either propofol or sevoflurane combined in both groups with fentanyl and epidural anesthesia. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2), jugular bulb venous oxygen saturation (SjO2), and the incidence of cerebral oxygen desaturation (rSO2 or SjO2 < 50% or rSO2 < 80% of baseline) were measured during anesthesia. Cognitive function was assessed using seven neurocognitive tests two days preoperatively, five days postoperatively (primary outcome), and three months postoperatively. Bivariable and multivariable regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with POCD. RESULTS: Rates of POCD did not differ statistically between groups five days postoperatively (propofol, 16/72 patients; sevoflurane, 24/72 patients; RR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.39 to 1.15; P = 0.14) or three months postoperatively (propofol, 9/60 patients; sevoflurane, 12/58 patients; RR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.33 to 1.59; P = 0.42). Only three subjects per group showed intraoperative cerebral oxygen desaturation. Multivariable regression analysis revealed older age as an independent predictor of POCD. CONCLUSIONS: No statistically significant difference in the incidence of POCD could be detected between the sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia groups. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction was relatively frequent following OLV in both groups. ( REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN 000002826).

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: La ventilation unipulmonaire (VUP) pourrait avoir un impact négatif sur l'équilibre d'oxygène cérébral et induire une dysfonction cognitive postopératoire (DCPO). Nous ne savons pas si le type d'agent anesthésique influence l'incidence de DCPO chez les patients recevant une VUP. Cette étude prospective a comparé l'incidence de DCPO et de désaturation peropératoire en oxygène cérébral chez les patients sous VUP anesthésiés avec du propofol vs du sévoflurane pendant une chirurgie pulmonaire. MéTHODE: Au total, 148 patients ont participé à cette étude et ont été randomisés en deux groupes égaux à recevoir du propofol ou du sévoflurane. L'anesthésie a été maintenue à l'aide de propofol ou de sévoflurane, et l'agent de choix a été combiné à du fentanyl et à une anesthésie péridurale dans les deux groupes. La saturation en oxygène cérébral régional (rSO2), la saturation en oxygène veineux au bulbe de la veine jugulaire (SjO2) et l'incidence de désaturation en oxygène cérébral (rSO2 ou SjO2 < 50 % ou rSO2 < 80 % par rapport aux valeurs de base) ont été mesurées pendant l'anesthésie. La fonction cognitive a été évaluée à l'aide de sept tests neurocognitifs deux jours avant l'opération, cinq jours après l'opération (critère d'évaluation principal) et trois mois après l'opération. Des analyses de régression bivariée et multivariée ont été réalisées afin d'identifier les facteurs associés à une DCPO. RéSULTATS: D'un point de vue statistique, les taux de DCPO n'étaient pas différents entre les groupes à cinq jours postopératoires (propofol, 16/72 patients; sévoflurane, 24/72 patients; RR, 0,67; IC 95 %, 0,39 à 1,15; P = 0,14) ou à trois mois postopératoires (propofol, 9/60 patients; sévoflurane, 12/58 patients; RR, 0,73, IC 95 %, 0,33 à 1,59; P = 0,42). Seuls trois patients par groupe ont manifesté une désaturation peropératoire en oxygène cérébral. L'analyse de régression multivariée a révélé qu'un âge avancé était un prédicteur indépendant de DCPO. CONCLUSION: Aucune différence significative d'un point de vue statistique n'a été observée en ce qui a trait à l'incidence de DCPO entre les groupes anesthésiés au sévoflurane ou au propofol. La dysfonction cognitive postopératoire était relativement fréquente après une VUP dans les deux groupes. (Numéro d'enregistrement: UMIN 000002826).

[Thoracic Drainage Using Nasal Airway for Postoperative Broncho-pleural Fistula].

A 61-year-old man with right lung cancer underwent right lower lobectomy. He suffered from postoperative broncho-pleural fistula, which was treated with thoracic drainage. After disappearance of air leakage, a drainage tube was removed. Forty days later, severe back pain, cough and fever were observed. Chest computed tomography showed enlarged thoracic cavity around the bronchial stump. Bronchoscopical examination revealed complete dehiscence of the bronchial stump. Because thoracic cavity was localized and located dorsal to the bronchial stump, a fenestration surgery was difficult. We placed a nasal airway from the dorsal to directly thoracic cavity, followed by disappearance of the symptoms. Thoracic cavity around the bronchial stump was gradually decreased and a nasal airway was successfully removed. Because a nasal airway was soft enough to keep supine position, we chose it as a drainage tube. Thoracic drainage using nasal airway may be a suitable therapeutic approach for localized small thoracic cavity.

Implications of Preoperative Transbronchial Lung Biopsy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Less than 3-cm.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) has been recommended for patients with suspected lung cancer. However, its diagnostic value is limited to small lesions, and some studies have indicated that biopsy might be related to metastasis and/or dissemination. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes after preoperative TBLB for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were reviewed from 371 patients with resected pN0 NSCLC less than 3-cm. Patients were divided into two groups: TBLB and Non-TBLB. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) with the endpoint RFS. RESULTS: The 5-year RFS rates were 75.5% in the TBLB group and 91.4% in the Non-TBLB group (p<0.001). Poor RFS was independently associated with TBLB (HR=2.491, 95%CI=1.337-4.640; p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Preoperative TBLB may adversely affect RFS among NSCLC patients with small size tumours.

Assessment of pulmonary function after lobectomy for lung cancer--upper lobectomy might have the same effect as lung volume reduction surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in well-selected patients with severe emphysema results in postoperative improvement in symptoms and pulmonary function. Experience with LVRS suggests that predicted postoperative FEV(1.0) may be underestimated after lobectomy in patients with lung cancer and emphysema. As most of the patients with lung cancer have more or less emphysematous changes in the lungs, we assumed that lobectomy would achieve the same effect as LVRS even in patients without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on the pulmonary function test. We assessed changes in pulmonary function in terms of 'volume reduction effect' after lobectomy for lung cancer. METHODS: Forty-three patients underwent right upper lobectomy (RUL), 38 patients left upper lobectomy (LUL), 39 patients right lower lobectomy (RLL), and 38 patients left lower lobectomy (LLL). Pulmonary function tests were performed preoperatively and 6 months to 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: Percent change in FEV(1.0) after lobectomy was -6.9+/-16.1% in RUL group, -11.2+/-16.9% in LUL group, -14.7+/-9.8% in RLL group, and -12.8+/-9.5% in LLL group. We evaluated the correlation between a preoperative FEV(1.0)% of predicted and percentage change in FEV(1.0) after lobectomy. There were no significant relationships between these variables in RLL or LLL group. In contrast, there were significant negative relationships between these variables in RUL and LUL groups. Correlation coefficients were r = -0.667, p < 0.0001 for RUL and r = -0.712, p < 0.0001 for LUL. In RUL and LUL groups, patients with a higher preoperative FEV(1.0)% of predicted had a more adverse percentage change in FEV(1.0) after surgery. In addition, all 13 patients with a preoperative FEV(1.0)% of predicted <60% in RUL and LUL groups had an increase in FEV(1.0) postoperatively. Patients with a lower preoperative FEV(1.0)% of predicted had a greater 'volume reduction effect' with an increase in FEV(1.0) after upper lobectomy. CONCLUSION: Upper lobectomy might have a volume reduction effect.

Outcome of surgical intervention for isolated intrathoracic lymph node metastasis from infradiaphragmatic malignancy: report of two cases.

We report 2 cases with isolated intrathoracic lymph node involvement. This is an unusual manifestation of metastatic spread from an extrathoracic malignancy. Case 1 was a 47-year-old female with a history of radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer of the uterus. Left intrathoracic lymphadenopathy was detected during follow-up. These lesions were surgically removed and diagnosed as multiple lymph node metastases. Two years later, right intrathoracic lymphadenopathy was evident and excised again. Eight months after the re-thoracotomy, retroperitoneal recurrence appeared and she died of the disease. Case 2 was a 41-year-old female with a history of resection of sigmoid colon cancer with liver metastases. A solitary nodule in the left upper lobe was shown by a chest computed tomography (CT). Left upper lobectomy was performed and the lesion was diagnosed as a solitary lymph node metastasis. She has had no recurrence for 3 years since thoracotomy.

Intralobar sequestration presenting as a large intrapulmonary hematoma and massive hemothorax.

Intralobar sequestration is a relatively rare anomaly that is usually diagnosed with symptoms of cough, expectoration, or recurrent pneumonia. We experienced a case of a 27-year-old man with a symptom of massive hemoptysis. His chest computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a large intrapulmonary hematoma and massive hemothorax, mimicking a benign lung tumor ruptured into the pleural cavity. We should keep the possibility of this anomaly in mind if a patient with hemoptysis has a cystic lung tumor and hemothorax on CT scan.

Efficacy of Surgical Airway Plasty for Benign Airway Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Long-term patency is required during treatment for benign airway stenosis. This study investigated the effectiveness of surgical airway plasty for benign airway stenosis. METHODS: Clinical courses of 20 patients, who were treated with surgical plasty for their benign airway stenosis, were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: Causes of stenosis were tracheobronchial tuberculosis in 12 patients, post-intubation stenosis in five patients, malacia in two patients, and others in one patient. 28 interventional pulmonology procedures and 20 surgical plasty were performed. Five patients with post-intubation stenosis and four patients with tuberculous stenosis were treated with tracheoplasty. Eight patients with tuberculous stenosis were treated with bronchoplasty, and two patients with malacia were treated with stabilization of the membranous portion. Anastomotic stenosis was observed in four patients, and one to four additional treatments were required. Performance status, Hugh-Jones classification, and ventilatory functions were improved after surgical plasty. Outcomes were fair in patients with tuberculous stenosis and malacia. However, efficacy of surgical plasty for post-intubation stenosis was not observed. CONCLUSION: Surgical airway plasty may be an acceptable treatment for tuberculous stenosis. Patients with malacia recover well after surgical plasty. There may be untreated patients with malacia who have the potential to benefit from surgical plasty.

Sequential stenting for extensive malignant airway stenosis.

PURPOSE: Malignant airway stenosis extending from the bronchial bifurcation to the lower lobar orifice was treated with airway stenting. We herein examine the effectiveness of airway stenting for extensive malignant airway stenosis. METHODS: Twelve patients with extensive malignant airway stenosis underwent placement of a silicone Dumon Y stent (Novatech, La Ciotat, France) at the tracheal bifurcation and a metallic Spiral Z-stent (Medico's Hirata, Osaka, Japan) at either distal side of the Y stent. We retrospectively analyzed the therapeutic efficacy of the sequential placement of these silicone and metallic stents in these 12 patients. RESULTS: The primary disease was lung cancer in eight patients, breast cancer in two patients, tracheal cancer in one patient, and thyroid cancer in one patient. The median survival period after airway stent placement was 46 days. The Hugh-Jones classification and performance status improved in nine patients after airway stenting. One patient had prolonged hemoptysis and died of respiratory tract hemorrhage 15 days after the treatment. CONCLUSION: Because the initial disease was advanced and aggressive, the prognosis after sequential airway stent placement was significantly poor. However, because respiratory distress decreased after the treatment in most patients, this treatment may be acceptable for selected patients with extensive malignant airway stenosis.

Surgical reconstruction for tuberculous airway stenosis: management for patients with concomitant tracheal malacia.

OBJECTIVES: Surgical reconstruction is commonly recommended for the treatment of tuberculous airway stenosis. The clinical conditions underlying tuberculous airway stenosis often involve both cicatricial stenosis and malacia. Surgical reconstruction alone may not improve the respiratory symptoms of patients with both types of airway stenosis. This study retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent surgical reconstruction for tuberculous airway stenosis to investigate the most appropriate treatment for this complicated condition. METHODS: Twelve patients with tuberculous airway stenosis underwent surgical reconstruction at our institute from January 2003 to December 2013. The clinical courses of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The 12 patients were 2 men and 10 women with a mean age of 36 years (range 17-61 years). The site of stenosis was the left main bronchus in six patients, trachea in four patients, and right main bronchus in two patients. The procedure performed was sleeve lobectomy in five patients, bronchial resection in four patients, and tracheal resection in three patients. Additional airway stenting was performed in two patients with concomitant malacia of the lower trachea. The performance status and Hugh-Jones classification improved postoperatively in all patients. The forced expiratory volume in 1 s as a percent of forced vital capacity and percent of forced expiratory volume in 1 s improved significantly. CONCLUSION: Surgical reconstruction is an acceptable treatment for tuberculous airway stenosis. Additional airway stenting may be needed in patients with symptomatic malacia.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a promising treatment for solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura (SFTPs) are slow-growing neoplasms. Approximately 800 cases have been reported in the literature to date. The aim of this study was to address our experience with the management of SFTPs and to evaluate the advantage of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in SFTP treatment. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of our experience. SETTING: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Nara Medical University. PATIENTS: From January 1992 to August 2002, 13 patients with a SFTP were referred to us for surgical resection after VATS was adopted in our hospital. The study group consisted of seven men and six women with a mean age of 49.8 years (age range, 37 to 72 years). RESULTS: Surgical excision was performed with VATS only in nine patients, with VATS plus a small thoracotomy in three patients, and by a posterolateral thoracotomy without VATS in one patient. The mean chest-drain duration was 1.3 days (range, 1 to 3 days), and the mean duration of hospital stay was 8.6 days (range, 3 to 30 days). Eleven tumors, originating from the visceral pleura, were pedunculate, and 2 tumors from the parietal pleura were not pedunculate. Two cases were focally characterized by a mitotic count in excess of four mitoses per 10 high-power fields and by cellular pleomorphism. Follow-up periods ranged from 6 to 120 months, with a mean of 49.7 months and a median of 42 months. All patients have remained well with no recurrence or metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice for SFTPs. For the pedunculate tumors, therefore, VATS is a powerful and useful approach. Even when it is necessary to perform a small thoracotomy in addition to VATS for the removal of a large tumor, VATS may play an important role in reducing the size of the thoracotomy incision, which results in less invasive surgery. To minimize postoperative morbidity, VATS may be the most promising surgical approach for the resection of SFTPs.

Resection of primary pleural pedunculate hemangiopericytoma.

We are reporting an uncommon clinical case of primary pleural hemangiopericytoma, of which only a few reports have been published in the literature to date. A 40-year-old woman was treated by complete surgical resection of the tumor. No recurrence or metastasis was detected during follow-up at 12 months after the resection. The postoperative pathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of primary pleural hemangiopericytoma. Details of the clinical and radiographic feature are presented.

REG Iα gene expression is linked with the poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma patients via discrete mechanisms.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the REG Iα and REG Iß genes on lung cancer cell lines, and thereafter, the expression of REG family genes (REG Iα, REG Iß, REG III, HIP/PAP and REG IV) in lung cancer in relation to patient prognosis was evaluated. Lung adenocarcinoma (AD) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines expressing REG Iα or REG Iß (HLC-1 REG Iα/Iß and EBC-1 REG Iα/Iß) were established, and cell number, cell invasive activity, and anchorage-independent cell growth were compared with these variables in the control cells. The expression levels of REG family genes were evaluated by real-time RT-PCR in surgically resected lung cancers, and disease-specific survival (DSS) curves were generated. The HLC-1 REG Iα/Iß cell line showed significant increases in cell number and anchorage-independent cell growth compared with the control cells. EBC-1 REG Iα/Iß cells showed significant increases in cell invasive activity and anchorage-independent cell growth as compared with the control cells. Except for the REG Iß gene, expression of other REG family genes was observed in the surgically resected samples; however, DSS was significantly worse only in stage I patients who were positive for REG Iα expression than in patients who were negative for REG Iα expression. The effects of REG Iα on AD and SCC cells were different in the in vitro study, and a correlation between REG Iα expression and patient prognosis was noted in the in vivo study. Therefore, overexpression of REG Iα is a risk factor for poor prognosis caused by discrete mechanisms in AD and SCC patients.

Engineering bioartificial tracheal tissue using hybrid fibroblast-mesenchymal stem cell cultures in collagen hydrogels.

We aimed at providing the first in vitro and in vivo proof-of-concept for a novel tracheal tissue engineering technology. We hypothesized that bioartificial trachea (BT) could be generated from fibroblast and collagen hydrogels, mechanically supported by osteogenically-induced mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in ring-shaped 3D-hydrogel cultures, and applied in an experimental model of rat trachea injury. Tube-shaped tissue was constructed from mixtures of rat fibroblasts and collagen in custom-made casting molds. The tissue was characterized histologically and mechanically. Ring-shaped tissue was constructed from mixtures of rat MSCs and collagen and fused to the tissue-engineered tubes to function as reinforcement. Stiffness of the biological reinforcement was enhanced by induction of osteogeneic differentiation in MSCs. Osteogenic differentiation was evaluated by assessment of osteocalcin (OC) secretion, quantification of calcium (Ca) deposit, and mechanical testing. Finally, BT was implanted to bridge a surgically-induced tracheal defect. A three-layer tubular tissue structure composed of an interconnected network of fibroblasts was constructed. Tissue collapse was prevented by the placement of MSC-containing ring-shaped tissue reinforcement around the tubular constructs. Osteogenic induction resulted in high OC secretion, high Ca deposit, and enhanced construct stiffness. Ultimately, when BT was implanted, recipient rats were able to breathe spontaneously.

Effects of a simple intraoperative intrathoracic hyperthermotherapy for lung cancer with malignant pleural effusion or dissemination.

We examined the effect of a simple intraoperative intrathoracic hyperthermotherapy (IIH) and a simple intraoperative intrathoracic hyperthermo-chemotherapy (IIHC) on malignant pleural effusion and/or dissemination with primary non-small lung cancer. This study included 19 patients who had malignant pleural effusion and/or dissemination recognized for the first time at the time of surgery. We performed surgical procedures on the primary lesions and then the additional therapies followed. Seven patients received IIH (group A), five patients underwent IIHC (group B), and seven patients did not have any additional therapy (group C). There was no death during the follow-up period (9-35 months) in the group A. The median survival time was 41 months in the group B and 25 months in the group C. The group A was completely free of pleural effusion and one patient in the group B suffered from pleural effusion 26 months after surgery, although the median term of freedom from pleural effusion was three months in the group C. In patients with malignant pleural effusion and/or dissemination with primary non-small lung cancer, not only IIHC but also IIH might be beneficial in the prevention of pleural effusion instead of the improvement in prognosis.

The effect of hypercapnia and hypertension on cerebral oxygen balance during one-lung ventilation for lung surgery during propofol anesthesia.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether jugular bulb venous oxygen saturation (SjO(2)) values increased with induced hypercapnia or induced hypertension during propofol-based anesthesia for one-lung ventilation (OLV). DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Operating room at University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 15 adult patients scheduled for elective thoracic procedures in the lateral position. INTERVENTIONS: General anesthesia was maintained with propofol combined with epidural anesthesia. During OLV, hypercapnia (PaCO(2) = 50 mmHg) and hypertension (20% increase in mean arterial pressure) were applied. MEASUREMENTS: SjO2 values were measured. MAIN RESULTS: With hypercapnia, SjO(2) values increased 30 ± 18% (from 54.3 ± 8.8% to 69.3 ± 6.3%). With hypertension, SjO(2) values were increased by 9 ± 18% (from 54.4 ± 9.0% to 58.5 ± 8.8%). These changes were significantly different. No significant differences regarding SaO(2) were observed during OLV in the experimental period. CONCLUSION: Hypercapnia, not hypertension, significantly improved cerebral oxygen balance without observed side effects during propofol anesthesia.

Influence of the site of lobectomy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on pulmonary function: a follow-up analysis.

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the influence of the site of lobectomy and the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on pulmonary function at different postoperative periods. The patients were divided into groups of COPD and non-COPD patients, and the differences between observed and predicted postoperative values of pulmonary function at different evaluation times according to the resected lobe were assessed. The observed postoperative percentage change in FEV(1) (opo%DeltaFEV(1)) - predicted postoperative percentage change in FEV(1) (ppo%DeltaFEV(1)) one month and six months after right upper lobectomy or left upper lobectomy in COPD patients was of significantly higher positive value than in non-COPD patients. In non-COPD patients, opo%DeltaFEV(1) - ppo%DeltaFEV(1) one month and six months after surgery was of significantly higher negative value in those who had right upper lobectomy than in those who had right lower lobectomy or left lower lobectomy (P<0.05). COPD may strongly influence pulmonary function at early- and late-terms after upper lobectomy. In non-COPD patients, the site of lobectomy may strongly influence pulmonary function at early- and late-terms after surgery.

Changes in ventilatory capacity, exercise capacity, and pulmonary blood flow after lobectomy in patients with lung cancer--which lobectomy has the most loss in exercise capacity?

The aim of this study was to compare the changes in ventilatory capacity, exercise capacity, and pulmonary blood flow (PBF) in the operated lung after lobectomy according to the lobe resected. Thirty-one patients underwent right upper lobectomy (RUL), 26 left upper lobectomy (LUL), 24 right lower lobectomy (RLL), and 25 left lower lobectomy (LLL). Pulmonary function tests, exercise capacity tests, and perfusion lung scans were performed preoperatively and six months to one year after lobectomy. RUL was associated with significantly less loss in forced vital capacity (FVC) than RLL or LLL (P<0.05). LUL was associated with the greatest loss in maximum oxygen consumption (VO2) (P<0.05). LUL was associated with significantly greater loss in PBF in the operated lung than RUL (P<0.05). LUL had a significantly higher negative value in percentage change in (VO2) --percentage change in FVC, and percentage change in PBF--percentage change in FVC than RLL or LLL (P<0.05). LUL was not associated with the greatest loss in ventilatory capacity or PBF, although it was associated with the greatest loss in . Each lobectomy has its own peculiarity in magnitude of loss in (VO2), PBF or FVC.

Exercise capacity after lobectomy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The aim of this study is to clarify whether patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) lose less exercise capacity after lobectomy than do those without COPD, to the same extent as ventilatory capacity and lobectomy for selected patients with severe emphysema improve exercise capacity like ventilatory capacity. Seventy non-COPD patients (N group), 16 mild COPD patients (M group), and 14 moderate-to-severe COPD patients (S group) participated. Pulmonary function and exercise capacity tests were performed on the same day preoperatively and six months to one year after lobectomy. The S group lost significantly less FEV(1) (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) after lobectomy than did the N or M group (P<0.0001 and P<0.005). However, their loss of exercise capacity was equivalent to that for the N and M groups. For the S group, there was a significant, negative correlation between preoperative FEV(1) % of predicted and percentage change in FEV(1) and maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) after lobectomy (r=-0.93, P<0.0001 and r=-0.64, P=0.01). In moderate-to-severe COPD patients, patients with a lower preoperative FEV(1) % of predicted experienced a smaller decrease in FEV(1) and VO2 max after lobectomy.

Short-and long-term outcomes after pneumonectomy for primary lung cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the recent results of pneumonectomy (Pn) for primary lung cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-four patients undergoing Pn and 26 patients undergoing broncho-or angioplastic lobectomy (namely, parenchyma-sparing lung resection) from January 1993 to December 2004 were reviewed. The oncological outcome of Pn was analyzed by disease-free survival (DFS). To assess morbidity and mortality, we compared the outcomes of patients undergoing Pn and parenchyma-sparing lung resection. RESULTS: Five-year DFS of the Pn group was 43%. DFS of pathological stage I/II patients was significantly better than that of stage III/IV (73.3% vs. 8.5%, P = 0.0001). The occurrence of minor and major postoperative complications was not different between Pn and parenchyma-sparing lung resection (52.9% vs. 61.5%, P = 0.5054; 17.6% vs. 7.7%, P = 0.1675). In the late period, respiratory function after Pn was significantly impaired in comparison with parenchyma-sparing lung resection. Moreover, 4 noncancer-related deaths occurred in the Pn group. CONCLUSION: The oncological outcome after Pn for patients with lung cancer of less than stage III was satisfactory. Although operative morbidity was not different between the two groups, the loss of pulmonary reserve after Pn was more severe after than the parenchyma-sparing lung resection.