title: [Surgical treatment of bilateral thoracotomy in patients with lesions of left main bronchus invading carina].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the outcome for surgical treatment of bilateral thoracotomy in patients with lesions of left main bronchus invading carina by bilateral thoracotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 4 patients with lesions of left main bronchus invading carina undergoing bilateral thoracotomy were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were two male and two female patients with a median age of 37.5 (range: 27 - 55) years old. Four patients were all accessed by bilateral thoracotomy, and received carinal reconstruction. Of these 4 patients, three patients received left pneumonectomy and one patient received carinal resection without concomitant pulmonary resection. Pathological results showed that one patient had tuberculosis. And other three patients were of 1 squamous cell carcinoma and 2 adenoid cystic carcinomas. Three patients received mechanical ventilation for a period of 3 - 21 days. one patient died of anastomotic dehiscence at 5 days postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bilateral thoracotomy is an alternative approach for relatively young patients with decent cardiopulmonary functions with lesions of left main bronchus invading carina. Operation type should be based on histopathological type and length of involved left main bronchus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Ju-wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Gui-yu
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ke-lin
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: De-chao
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liang-jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ru-gang
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods*; D014132:Trachea / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome