[Surgery of bronchiectasis: what have changed in the last ten years?]

Bronchiectasis is defined as chronic abnormal dilatation and distortion of the bronchi. Surgery continues to be play an important role in the treatment of this disease especially in focal disease which is both curative. The objective of this study is to characterize the patients who underwent surgical resection of bronchiectasis in 10 years and compare them with patients operated by the same pathology in the previous 10 years. We conducted a review of cases of 78 patients operated in the 2000 ' s and the results were compared with those obtained in the study by the same professional service, referring to the previous decade. We assessed sex, age, symptoms, number of years with symptoms, complementary exams performed prior to surgery, indications for surgery, previous pulmonary diseases, location of bronchiectasis, type of surgical approach, number of hospitalization days and complications of surgery. In the last decade a smaller number of patients with bronchiectasis ( 78 versus 119 ) were submitted to thoracic surgery. In both groups the right lung and the lower lobes were the most affected and the majority of patients was submitted to lobectomy. In the last decade a lower percentage of complications was registed ( 6.4 %, versus 15.0 % (. The surgery was considered to be curative in 94.9 % and only 91 % in the 90 ' s. This study would support the idea that the surgery of bronchiectasis continues to be an excellent alternative to the treatment of localized forms of the disease and its complications.