Long-term outcomes and risk factor analysis after pneumonectomy for active and sequela forms of pulmonary tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis remains high in several areas of the world, and pneumonectomy is often necessary to treat the disease. We retrospectively analyzed the morbidities, mortalities, and long-term outcomes after pneumonectomy for the treatment of active tuberculosis or its sequelae.


METHODS
Between 1981 and 2001, 94 patients underwent either pneumonectomy or pleuropneumonectomy for the treatment of tuberculosis. The patients included 44 males and 50 females and the mean age was 40 (16-68) years. The pathology included destroyed lung in 80, main bronchus stenosis in ten, and both lesions in four. Surgical procedures performed were pneumonectomy in 47, pleuropneumonectomy in 43, and completion pneumonectomy in four.


RESULTS
One patient died postoperatively due to empyema. Twenty-three complications occurred in 20 patients: empyema in 15 (including seven bronchopleural fistulae), wound infections in five, and other complications in three. Univariate analysis revealed the presence of empyema, pleuropneumonectomy, prolonged operation time, old age, and intraoperative contamination as risk factors of postpneumonectomy empyema; it also showed that low preoperative FEV(1) and postoperative persistent positive sputum AFB were risk factors of bronchopleural fistula. In multivariate analysis, old age and low preoperative FEV(1) were risk factors of empyema while low preoperative FEV(1), positive sputum acid-fast bacilli, and the presence of aspergilloma were risk factors of bronchopleural fistula. There were 12 late deaths. Actuarial 5- and 10-year survival rates were 94+/-3% and 87+/-4%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Pneumonectomy could be performed with acceptable mortality and morbidity, and could achieve satisfactory long-term survival for the treatment of tuberculosis. In patients with risk factors, special care is recommended to prevent postoperative empyema or bronchopleural fistula.
Kim
Young Tae
YT
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (Clinical Research Institute), Seoul National University Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, South Korea. ytkim@plaza.snu.ac.kr
Kim
Hong Kwan
HK
Sung
Sook-Whan
SW
Kim
Joo Hyun
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*