title: Thoracoscopic caudal left lower lobectomy in a patient with fused fissure.
abstract: A 72-year-old man diagnosed as having primary lung cancer underwent surgical resection using a totally thoracoscopic approach. The thoracoscopic view revealed an incomplete fissure and severe emphysematous change. Therefore, to avoid postoperative air leakage, we decided not to expose the pulmonary artery at the fissure. The inferior pulmonary vein, lower bronchus, and pulmonary artery branches were divided by staplers in a caudal-to-head direction, and then the interlobar area was divided. Postoperative air leakage was not observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Igai
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiyoshihara
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawatani
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ibe
authors.forename: Kimihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Caudal left lower lobectomy; fused fissure; thoracoscopy