Lobectomy with pulmonary artery resection: morbidity, mortality, and long-term survival

We report our experience with 93 consecutive pulmonary artery reconstructions during pulmonary lobectomy with regard to morbidity, mortality, and long-term survival.

Clinical records of all patients who underwent lobectomy with partial or circumferential pulmonary artery resection in a single institution during an 8-year period were reviewed retrospectively.

Lobectomy with partial (n = 90) or circumferential (n = 3) pulmonary artery resection was carried out in 93 patients. Indications for surgical intervention were non-small cell lung cancer in 87 patients and other malignancy in the remaining 6 patients. Bronchial sleeve resection was associated in 23 patients. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy had been administered in 34 cases because of cN2 disease. Operative mortality was 5.4%. Postoperative complications occurred in 27 (29.0%) patients. All the patients underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomographic scanning 6 to 8 weeks postoperatively, which always showed patency of the pulmonary arteries. In the whole population median and 5-year survivals were 40 months and 39.4%, respectively. Disease-free survival was 41.4% at 5 years. Among patients with non-small cell lung cancer, at univariate analysis, tumor size of less than 3 cm; presence of vascular peritumoral emboli, intratumoral emboli, or both; and dyspnea influenced 5-year survival. Multivariate analysis showed that the size of the primary tumor and the presence of vascular emboli were independent factors of worse outcome.

Lobectomy with arterial sleeve resection has acceptable mortality and no specific complications. Late results in terms of survival are satisfactory.