Wedge resection of the bronchus: an alternative bronchoplastic technique for preservation of lung tissue

We present a modified wedge resection of the bronchus, as an alternative bronchoplastic technique for lung resection, in cases of patients with or without adequate pulmonary reserve to undergo a pneumonectomy, in order to preserve lung tissue.

Seventeen patients underwent a major lung resection with wedge resection of the bronchus for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in our department, from March 1995 to October 1999. A right-sided NSCLC were diagnosed in 17 males, with a mean age 62.5+/-6.6 (range 51-72) years. Further workup was free of metastatic disease. All patients underwent a right posterolateral thoracotomy, under general anesthesia with a double lumen endotracheal tube. Twelve right upper lobectomies, four right upper and middle lobectomies and one carinal resection were performed. The wedge resection of the bronchus carried out longitudinally, along the bronchial tree, and the bronchial defect was reapproximated transversely, in a single-layer, with interrupted non-absorbable suture. The frozen section of the distal margin of the resected bronchus was negative for malignancy in all patients. Extended mediastinal lymph node dissection followed each lung resection.

The pathology report showed 12 squamous-cell carcinomas, three adenocarcinomas, one adenosquamous carcinoma and one neuroendocrine carcinoma. The differentiation of the carcinomas was well in two cases, moderate in ten and poor in five. The pTNM stage was IB in four patients (23.5%), IIA in one (5.9%), IIB in eight (47.1%) and IIIA in four (23.5%). The median disease-free distal margin of the bronchus was 5 mm (range 2-15 mm). The average postoperative hospital stay was 15 days (range 12-28 days). The morbidity and mortality rate was 11.8 and 5.9%, respectively. Postoperative follow-up was every 6 months. The average survival is 20.0+/-15.2 months (range 1-54 months). There are 12 patients alive, and their follow-up is negative for locoregional recurrence or distant metastasis. The survival study showed no significantly statistic relation to the histologic type, cancer differentiation, pTNM stage, and disease-free distal margin of resection larger or less than 0.5 cm (Kaplan-Meier study log rank method).

The wedge resection of the bronchus as a bronchoplastic procedure is an easy, fast and safe technique of reparation of the bronchial tree. It presents not only a low rate of morbidity and mortality, but also a satisfactory survival.