Bullous emphysema. Progressive incremental exercise testing to evaluate candidates for bullectomy.
Various tests of both function and anatomy have been used in patients being considered for surgical resection of giant pulmonary bullae. A young patient had an excellent response to removal of a large bulla in the right lung. In addition to roentgenographic evaluation, ventilation perfusion scanning, and routine preoperative pulmonary function studies, we performed progressive incremental exercise testing to determine both preoperative and postoperative ventilatory and cardiac measurements. We feel that progressive incremental exercise pulmonary function adds another dimension to the selection and follow-up of patients being considered for operative bullectomy.
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods*
D010100:Oxygen