Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: report of five cases

We experienced five cases of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) that were successfully treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Four malformations were treated by local wedge resection and one was treated by segmentectomy. Criteria for patient selection for surgery were peripheral and solitary lesions, with feeding arteries larger than 3 mm. Postoperative hospital stays were 1-7 days (median, 2 days). All patients showed unchanged or increased values of PaO(2) in arterial blood after operation. No major postoperative complication occurred in any patient, but a persistent air leak for 5 days occurred in the one patient who was treated by segmentectomy. No growth of accessory vessels or untreated malformations were seen in any patient throughout the follow-up period of 14-54 months. Thoracoscopic surgical resection for well-selected patients provides a high certainty of eliminating fistulae and was associated with lower morbidity, lower mortality, and shorter hospital stays.