Clinical experience of lobectomy with pulmonary artery reconstruction for central non-small-cell lung cancer

In patients with central lung cancer, lobectomy can be achieved without pneumonectomy by surgical reconstruction of the pulmonary artery (PA). Herein, we report our clinical experience of 34 patients who had lobectomy with PA reconstruction, including perioperative administration, morbidity, mortality, and long-term survival.

The clinical records of 34 patients who received lobectomy with PA reconstruction in our department between August 2003 and September 2005 were reviewed.

In our series, PA reconstruction with end-to-end anastomosis was performed in 18 patients (52.9%). Seven patients (20.6%) required partial PA reconstruction with autologous pericardium patch. Five patients (14.7%) with a lower lobe tumor required PA reconstruction with artery flap. The perioperative mortality was 2.9%, and 1 patient died on postoperative day 13 because of severe bronchopleural fistula. Another 2 patients had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and required reintubation in our Intensive Care Unit. The overall Kaplan-Meier 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 46% and 37%, respectively. As compared with the stage III patients, stage I patients had significantly greater 5-year survival (80% vs. 11%; P = .005). Patients with pN0 disease also had greater 5-year survival than patients with pN2-3 disease (71% vs. 9%; P = .004).

In our department, PA reconstruction has been more frequently and actively performed for patients with central lung cancer, especially for some patients with a lower lobe tumor. Although the morbidity and mortality is acceptable, surgeons should be more attentive to lethal postoperative complications such as ARDS induced by lung ischemia-reperfusion injury.