title: Surgical interventions for emphysema.
abstract: Three surgical procedures are pertinent to the treatment of end-stage emphysema: giant bullectomy, lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), and lung transplantation. Patients with localized disease manifesting as a giant bulla that compresses adjacent healthy lung tissues can be offered bullectomy. Patients with diffuse disease can be offered LVRS, lung transplantation, or staged LVRS/lung transplant, depending on multiple factors including age, lung function parameters, lobar predominance, and whether the disease is uni- or bilateral. Since end-stage emphysema is refractory to most medical treatment, surgery is often the only remaining option.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Lung Transplant Program, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115-6195, USA.
authors.forename: Phillip Cabot
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Camp
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sugarbaker
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome