Nd-YAG laser under local anaesthesia in obstructive endobronchial tumours

Thirty-eight neodymium yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd-YAG) laser sessions have been performed in 26 patients under local anaesthesia. The majority of patients had recurrences of inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer after radiotherapy. At evaluation, a subjective improvement of dyspnoea was noticed in 70% (18/26) of the patients, and in 54% (14/26) of the cases, a greater than 50% improvement of the airway lumen diameter was assessed at bronchoscopy. Haemoptysis subsided in 4 out of the 5 patients. On 2 occasions, the rigid scope was introduced to provide optimal control of minor bleeding during the laser performance. Neither respiratory failure, nor any treatment-related death has occurred. In our hands, Nd-YAG treatment under local anaesthesia was a feasible, effective and safe procedure.