PULMONARY-FUNCTION AFTER SLEEVE LOBECTOMY

Preoperative and postoperative pulmonary function of 109 sleeve lobect omy patients (90 right upper lobe, 10 left upper lobe, and 9 left lowe r lobe) were evaluated over a period of 30 years. Ninety-eight men and 11 women, with a mean age of 60 years, were reviewed. The diagnosis w as lung canter in 97 patients and carcinoid tumors in 12 patients. Ind ications for operation were anatomic suitability in 103 patients, and impaired pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV (1)) less than 1,200 mL) in 6 patients. The predicted postoperative PE V(1) was calculated and compared with the measured postoperative FEV(1 ). Preoperative spirometry and split pulmonary radionuclide ventilatio n/perfusion scans were used to calculate the predicted postoperative F EV(1). Postoperative spirometry had been performed 125 days after oper ation (range, 25 to 342 days). Our results showed a gradual improvemen t in postoperative pulmonary function. A complete and stable condition was reached 4 months after operation. Correlation between the predict ed (mean, 2,097 mL) and measured FEV(1) (mean, 2,067 mL) was good (lin ear regression and correlation test; r = 0.72). These values did not d iffer significantly (Wilcoxon signed rank test; p = 0.81). Our finding s indicated a complete recovery of the reimplanted lung lobes after sl eeve lobectomy.