Redo lung volume reduction surgery in a patient with alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency

Lung volume reduction surgery is a palliative procedure that improves dyspn ea and pulmonary function in selected patients with advanced emphysema. Pos toperative benefit is sustained for an individual period and depends on the emphysema morphology, the surgical technique, and other not yet well-defin ed factors. The question whether lung volume reduction surgery can be perfo rmed a second time on the same thoracic cavity is often raised but experien ce in this regard is lacking. We describe a patient who has undergone a suc cessful redo operation 2 years after the initial lung Volume reduction surg ery. (C) 2000 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.