Effective surgical palliation of giant compressive bullous emphysema (vanishing lung syndrome): long-term follow-up.
Giant compressive bullous emphysema is rare. The three major considerations for operation involve a breathless patient with giant bullae occupying more than one-third of one lung field who has a positive pulmonary arteriogram revealing diminished blood flow to the involved lung. Finally, we think that the survivors in our series, eight long-term postoperative patients alive one year to 14 years, supply gratifying evidence that surgery can provide effective and safe palliation.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D001261:Pulmonary Atelectasis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality