title: [Lung volume reduction surgery in advanced emphysema--results of the Washington University, St. Louis].
abstract: The aim of lung volume reduction surgery is to alleviate the symptoms of severe emphysema and to improve the life quality of the patient. The appropriate candidates (approximately 20% of all emphysematic patients examined in our clinic) had considerable dyspnea, an increased lung capacity, and a heterogenous dissemination of the emphysema with regional destruction of the parenchyma, hyperinflation and poor perfusion. After preoperative physiotherapie with a specified rehabilitation aim, a resection of 20 to 30% of the total lung volume was performed via sternotomy. From January 1993 to February 1996, 150 patients underwent bilateral lung volume reduction (age range = 36 to 77 years). The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was preoperatively 25% of the predicted value, the total lung capacity (TLC) 142% and the residual volume (RV) 283%, 94% of these patients necessitated oxygen supply at rest or during exercise. The 90-day mortality was 4%. All patients except 1 were extubated immediately after operation. The median hospital stay was 10 days in the first 100 patients and 7 days in the last 50. An increase of the FEV1 by 51% and a decrease of the RV by 28% was observed 6 months after operation. The mean PaO2 was improved by 8 mm Hg while the percentage of oxygen dependent patients went down from 50 to 16%. In addition a raise of the perseverance capacity, a clear decrease of dyspnea and an improvement of the life quality were achieved. These results persist after 1 (n = 56) and 2 (n = 20) years after operation. Lung volume reduction leads to an improvement of the lung function, symptoms and the quality of life, which is superior to that achieved by maximal clinical intervention.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Herz- und Thoraxchirurgie, Barnes Hospital, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Gaissert
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Yusen
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Trulock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013908:Thoracotomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio
vernacular_title: Die Lungenvolumenreduktionschirurgie des fortgeschrittenen Emphysems--Ergebnisse der Washington University, St. Louis.