Role of lung reduction in lung transplant candidates with pulmonary emphysema.
BACKGROUND
The average waiting time for candidates for lung transplantation (LTx) with end-stage emphysema is 21 months with a 15% mortality. We hypothesized that lung reduction might offer an alternative to LTx.


METHODS
Of 95 patients with end-stage emphysema evaluated by our LTx program, 45 were accepted for both lung reduction and LTx and 35 underwent lung reduction.


RESULTS
All 35 patients survived lung reduction. Thirty patients had a follow-up of 3 months. There was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (0.64 to 0.97 L), forced vital capacity (2.12 to 2.76 L), residual volume (5.62 to 4.26 L), maximum voluntary ventilation (28.1 to 38.5 L/min), 6-minute walk (904 to 1,012 feet), Borg dyspnea index (3.7 to 2.4), and arterial carbon dioxide tension (44.9 to 41.6 mm Hg). Twenty patients (66%) were removed from the LTx list due to their significant improvement (group A). Compared with the remaining 10 patients with 3 months of follow-up (group B), percent increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (70% in group A versus 27% in group B) and in forced vital capacity (41% group A versus 18% group B) and percent decrease in residual volume (26% group A versus 1.5% group B) were significantly better in group A (p < 0.01). Seven patients in group B were bridged to LTx; 6 of these patients (86%) had hypercarbia before lung reduction compared with 8 (40%) in group A (p < 0.05). All are alive after LTx: the forced expiratory volume in 1 second is 53% and the forced vital capacity is 64% of predicted.


CONCLUSIONS
Lung reduction is safe and effective in selected LTx candidates with end-stage emphysema and has the potential to provide an alternative to LTx. Long-term follow-up is warranted to confirm these results.
Zenati
M
M
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Keenan
R J
RJ
Sciurba
F C
FC
Manzetti
J D
JD
Landreneau
R J
RJ
Griffith
B P
BP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000601:surgery*; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D013906:Thoracoscopy