PULMONARY RESECTION AFTER PNEUMONECTOMY IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHOGENIC-CARCINOMA

Eight patients with a previous pneumonectomy for bronchogenic carcinom a underwent an additional resection because of a second primary carcin oma in the remaining lung. One patient died of pulmonary embolism in t he postoperative period. The postoperative course was otherwise uneven tful except for prolonged air leak. Two patients died after 3 months ( bone metastasis) and 5 months (recurrent small-cell carcinoma). Two pa tients were alive at the time this article was written but had evidenc e of recurrence after 18 months (distant metastasis) and 21 months (lo cal recurrence at the site of positive resection margins). Three patie nts were alive and doing well without evidence of disease after 16, 17 , and 40 months. After careful selection, even patients with a previou s pneumonectomy may be good candidates for additional resection of a s econd primary bronchogenic carcinoma.