Basal segmental auto-transplantation after pneumonectomy for advanced central lung cancer

In patients with central lung cancer that extensively involves the bronchus/pulmonary artery, a double-sleeve lobectomy is often difficult to perform. We describe a case of post-pneumonectomy basal segmental auto-transplantation using a lung preservation technique that uses cold low-potassium dextran glucose solution to protect the lung graft from ischaemia-reperfusion injury during the ex situ division of the segmental graft and the pathological investigations for the clearance of the surgical margins. A right basal segmental auto-transplantation procedure was performed in a patient with stage-IIIA squamous cell lung cancer. This technique could allow extensive pulmonary resection while minimizing the loss of pulmonary reserve.