Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Normothermic Negative Pressure Ventilation Ex Situ Lung Perfusion: Evaluation of Lung Function and Metabolism
Published on: February 14, 2022
Apical perfusion fraction as a predictor of short-term functional outcome following bilateral lung volume reduction
R M Kotloff1, J Hansen-Flaschen, D A Lipson
1Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. kotloff@mail.med.upenn.edu
Study Objectives:
To examine whether relative hypoperfusion to the apical one third of the lungs as determined by lung scintigraphy predicts a favorable functional outcome following bilateral lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS).
Methods:
We performed a retrospective analysis of 128 patients who underwent bilateral LVRS. An apical perfusion fraction (AP%), defined as the percentage of total lung perfusion to the apical one third of both lungs, was derived for each patient by quantitative scintigraphy technique. Pulmonary function testing and 6-min walk test (6MWT) data were obtained preoperatively and 3 to 6 months postoperatively.
Results:
The mean (+/- SD) improvement in FEV(1) was 309 +/- 240 mL, 209 +/- 293 mL, and 116 +/- 224 mL for patients with an AP% of
Conclusion:
This retrospective analysis suggests that quantification of apical perfusion by nuclear scintigraphy assists in predicting the likelihood of short-term functional improvement after LVRS.
