Anatomy of inferior pulmonary vein should be clarified in lower lobectomy

We successfully performed surgery for carcinoma of the lung on 2 patients w ith the anatomic variation of the middle lobe vein draining to the right in ferior pulmonary vein. This variation is surgically important because divis ion of the right inferior pulmonary vein may result in blockage of middle l obe vein drainage in right lower lobectomy. Surgeons must always pay attent ion to this variation when performing the right lower lobectomy. (C) 1998 b y The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.