LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP OF PULMONARY-FUNCTION AFTER LOBECTOMY IN CHILDHOOD - FACTORS AFFECTING LUNG GROWTH

We examined the changes in pulmonary function values in 27 patients wh o underwent a lobectomy due to cystic lung disease and compared the re sults regarding such factors as disease type, age at operation, and pr eoperative infections. Percent vital capacity (%VC) decreased immediat ely after lobectomy, but recovered to normal values within 2 postopera tive years and remained within or above the normal range. The ratio of residual volume to total lung capacity (RV/TLC) rose temporally with the increase in %VC, but then remained normal after 2 postoperative ye ars. There was no difference in %VC and RV/TLC between diseases, while bronchial atresia showed a significantly lower correlation with perce nt of forced expiratory volume at 1 s. The older group operated upon a t over 4 years of age and the group that had infections before operati on showed relatively low %VC and high RV/TLC. Some patients demonstrat ed extremely low %VC along with funnel chest deformities. Our study su ggests that overinflation of the remaining lung compensates VC in the early period after lobectomy while subsequently alveolar multiplicatio n occurs. Factors affecting compensatory lung growth were considered t o be operation later than 4 years of age, preoperative infection, and a thoracic deformity.