Evaluation of cases with combined bronchoplasty and pulmonary arterioplasty for the treatment of lung cancer

Abstract

Bronchoplasty and pulmonary angioplasty(PA-plasty) have been performed in recent years for lung cancer invading the bronchus and pulmonary artery. We evaluated the results and complications in patients who underwent such operations. There were 23 cases of bronchoplasty performed between 1988 and October 1993. Of these 23 cases, 9 underwent PA-plasty with bronchoplasty. There were 8 males and 1 female (mean 65.6 year-old). There were 8 patients with primary lung cancer(sq 5, ad 1, la 1, and sm 1) and 1 with metastatic lung tumor of colon cancer. One patient was in p-stage II, 6 in p-stage III, and 1 in p-stage IV. Seven patients underwent right upper lobectomy, 1 did the right upper and middle bilobectomy, and 1 did a left upper lobectomy. Bronchoplasty was performed using sleeve resection in 8 patients, and a wedge resection in 1 patient. PA-plasty was performed using sleeve resection and end to end anastomosis in 2 cases, and using side wall resection and plasty in 7 patients after clamp. Of 9 patients in whom both broncho- and PA-plasty were performed, there was one with the resected bronchial stump of cancer-positive. Total resection of the cancer was possible in the remaining 8 patients. Postoperative complications included 2 pneumonia, 2 empyema, and 1 each, acute cardiac failure, pulmonary thrombus, and chylothorax. The patients with empyema required re-operation using omentopexy or thoracoplasty. Long-term results showed that 2 patients died because of recurrence. Another patient died of respiratory failure. The remaining 6 patients were alive without any evidence of cancer. Pneumonectomy was avoided and the combination of PA-plasty and bronchoplasty was performed instead. However, the incidence of postoperative complications was high, indicating that utmost care must be exercised in the postoperative management of these patients.