Completion pneumonectomy: experience with 47 cases.

From 1982 through March 1994, fourty-seven patients underwent completion pneumonectomy for a reappearing lung cancer, lung metastases, late complications, benign lung diseases, and early complication of bronchial or pulmonary artery sleeve resections. Intraoperative bleeding was higher than in standard pneumonectomy; there was one intraoperative mortality (2.3%). Operative mortality was 14.9% overall but was 3.6% in completion pneumonectomy for lung cancer, 20% for late complications and benign disease, and 57% for the treatment of early complications of sleeve resections. Three and five-year survival in patients with lung cancer who survived the operation was 43.8% and 28.7% according to the Kaplan-Meier method; no significant difference in long-term survival was present between patients with a second primary lung cancer or recurrence. Completion pneumonectomy is indicated in reappearing lung cancer and should be considered in benign disease when a less invasive procedure is not available. Completion pneumonectomy for the treatment of early complications of bronchial or pulmonary artery sleeve resections has a very high mortality but no alternative is available.

[Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Case report]. / La linfangioleiomiomatosi (LAM) polmonare. Presentazione di un caso clinico.

Pulmonary lymphangioleyomiomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease that affects only women. About one hundred cases are reported in the literature. This disease progresses to respiratory failure and its course can be slowed by hormonal therapy. A new case is reported; this woman was admitted to our Division for a right hydropneumothorax and after pleural drainage fluid demonstrated to be a chylous effusion; after a thoraco-abdominal CT scan the diagnosis of LAM was suspected. She was operated on after a few days because of continuous air and chyle leakage. A closure of lung leakage was performed with a stapler device that allowed the removal of a small specimen of lung for histopathological examination and a parietal pleurectomy was added with the aim of obtaining a pleural space obliteration. The histopathological examination revealed changes consistent with LAM and also positive was the hormonal steroid receptors assay. Adhesion of the lung to the chest wall was obtained but an antero-basal pouch persisted with continuous chylous leakage. A transposition of omentum into the chest was made with the aim of obliterating the pouch and favour chyle reabsorption and no drainage was left. Another CT scan demonstrated complete obliteration of the pouch and no fluid accumulation; the procedure proved to be successful and the patient was discharged with hormonal therapy.

Chylothorax after pleuro-pulmonary surgery: a rare but unavoidable complication.

The incidence of chylothorax after pleuro-pulmonary operations as well as its treatment is reported. Of 1744 operations performed postoperative chylothorax developed in 13 (0.74%). It resulted in two cases from the transection of the thoracic duct, in six from the transection of the so-called minor lymph channels, which drain lymph from mediastinal nodes straight into the thoracic duct or drain lung segments into the thoracic duct via the pulmonary ligament; the transection of these channels occurred during mediastinal lymphadenectomy or during the section of the pulmonary ligament. In 5 patients the site of leakage was not determined as reoperation was not required. Conservative treatment with low-fat diet and medium-chain triglycerides and/or total parenteral nutrition was attempted in all but one patient but was successful only in 5 cases whose mean losses were 292 ml/day. Seven patients were reoperated after a mean of 11 days; their mean losses were 930 ml/day. One patient was reoperated on the third postoperative day without attempting conservative treatment; his mean loss was 850 ml/day. Lymphadenectomy seems to be an important risk factor for postoperative chylothorax. Chyle leakage around 500 ml/day or higher that tends to decrease below 500 ml/day after a few days of dietary manipulation usually stops within 10-20 days, while leakage over 500 ml/day that does not tend to decrease below 500 ml/day seldom if ever stops without surgery, so that a more aggressive attitude is justified.

Lung resections concomitant to coronary artery bypass grafting.

From 1980 through 1993 ten patients underwent concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting and lung resection via median sternotomy. In eight patients a lung malignancy was resected, of which one was a small cell lung cancer. The lung resection was carried out before cardiopulmonary bypass in eight patients and during cardiopulmonary bypass in two. Coronary artery bypass grafting was performed using saphenous vein in eight patients; internal mammary artery was used as arterial conduit in two patients. There was one postoperative death while postoperative complications during hospital stay occurred in two patients. Pulmonary bleeding did not occur in any patient in whom lung resection was performed either before or during cardiopulmonary bypass. Both the patients who had internal mammary artery grafting experienced complications related to an associated lobectomy. A staged procedure is advisable if internal mammary artery has to be used and a lobectomy is required. The long-term survival in the patients with lung cancer was less than expected but the number of patients is too small to draw definite conclusions.