title: Use of lung-preserving surgery in left inflammatory bronchial occlusion and distal atelectasis: preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lung-preserving surgery was proved to be effective and safe to treat patients with benign bronchial strictures. However, this surgical treatment has been rarely reported in patients with complete occlusion in the left main bronchus. The aim of this study was to assess the value of this procedure and report our experience in the treatment of these patients with left atelectasis caused by inflammatory bronchial occlusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed and analysed the medical records of 8 patients who had undergone left main bronchus sleeve resection for symptomatic left atelectasis caused by inflammatory bronchial occlusion from May 2007 to April 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients (3 men and 5 women) with a medical history of active pulmonary tuberculosis were involved in this study. The median age was 23 years. Parenchyma-sparing left main bronchus resection was performed in 4 patients, 1 of whom received partial wedge resection in the lingual lobe. Left main bronchus sleeve resection plus superior lobectomy was performed in 2 patients and left main bronchus sleeve resection plus left inferior lobectomy in 2 patients, 1 of whom received additional partial wedge resection of the lingual lobe. The procedure was completed successfully in all 8 patients without postoperative deaths. The mean follow-up time was 49.3 months, ranging from 23 to 69 months. No major complications, including stenosis and atelectasis, were observed during the follow-up period. The symptoms of pulmonary atelectasis disappeared and pulmonary ventilation function improved significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In symptomatic patients with left atelectasis caused by inflammatory bronchial occlusion, lung-preserving surgery is an effective and safe surgical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Wenshu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Weina
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yixin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Qinzi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Shengling
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xiangning
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, TongJi Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China nizhangtjh@gmail.com nizhangtjh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059351:Organ Sparing Treatments / Q000379:methods*; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001261:Pulmonary Atelectasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014109:Total Lung Capacity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bronchial occlusion; Endobronchial inflammation; Left atelectasis; Sleeve resection; Surgical treatment