HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vaaler, A. K. Articles by Wagner, R. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vaaler, A. K. Articles by Wagner, R. B.

Ann Thorac Surg 1995;59:178-182
© 1995 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Pneumonectomy After Contralateral Lobectomy: Is It Reasonable?

National Naval Medical Center and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland

Accepted for publication July 26, 1994.

Conservative resection of a second primary lung cancer is desirable but not always feasible. We recently carried out three left pneumonectomies for the removal of metachronous primary lung cancers in patients who had previously undergone right upper lobe resection for the treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma. In each patient, the results of pulmonary function tests plus the findings from quantitative perfusion lung scans predicted a postpneumonectomy forced expiratory volume in 1 second of at least 1.00 L. All 3 patients had uncomplicated postoperative courses, and were doing satisfactorily at follow-up 2 to 6 months later. One patient died 5 months after pneumonectomy due to unrelated causes, another died 8 months after pneumonectomy from infection after resection of a brain metastasis, and the third is doing well 15 months after pneumonectomy. The rarity of previously reported cases suggests that performing a pneumonectomy after contralateral lobectomy may be considered too radical. Our experience indicates the procedure may be considered if the patient's pulmonary function meets the standard criteria for pneumonectomy.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. Baysungur, E. Okur, L. Tuncer, and S. Halezeroglu Sequential right upper sleeve lobectomy and left pneumonectomy for bilateral synchronous lung cancer Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., April 1, 2009; 35(4): 743 - 744. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Halezeroglu Pulmonary resection after pneumonectomy: preoperative mediastinal assessment and resection method of choice Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., February 1, 2009; 35(2): 375 - 375. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Flynn, D. Rassl, A. El Shahira, B. Higgins, and S. Barnard Metachronous and Synchronous Lung Tumors: Five Malignant Lung Pathologies in 1 Patient During 7 Years Ann. Thorac. Surg., December 1, 2004; 78(6): 2154 - 2155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]