Extension of functional limitation for surgery of lung cancer by unilateral pulmonary arterial occlusion test

Abstract

We performed unilateral pulmonary arterial occlusion test to determine the indication for lung resection functionally, and investigated 32 cases whose total pulmonary vascular resistance was over 700 dyne.sec.cm-5/M2. Thirteen out of 32 cases underwent surgery. There was no difference in lung function tests between surgical and non-surgical cases. Nine out of 12 cases whose pulmonary vascular resistance was less than 800 dyne by unilateral pulmonary arterial occlusion test underwent surgery, and none of these cases died within 3 months after surgery. In non-surgical cases, two were aged patients and one had chronic renal failure. Four out of 20 cases whose total pulmonary vascular resistance was over 800 dyne underwent surgery. Two cases that underwent surgery died within 3 months after surgery. These results suggest that the functional limitation of lung resection can be extended from 700 dyne.sec.cm-5/M2 to 800 dyne.sec.cm-5/M2 total pulmonary vascular resistance by application of unilateral pulmonary arterial occlusion test.