Surgical treatment of bronchiectasis: a collective review of 487 cases

Pulmonary resection to treat bronchiectasis in a total of 487 patients between December 1976 through June 1988 is reported on. The surgical treatment consisted of pneumonectomy in 190 cases (144 left and 46 right), lobectomy in 202 cases, bilobectomy in 23 cases and lobectomy combined with segmental resection in 72 cases. The overall mortality rate was 3.5%. Patients were followed up for a period ranging between 4 months to 10 years: at the end of the study 71% of the patients were completely asymptomatic. It is concluded that though the first choice of therapy must be conservative, in those patients with bronchiectasis in whom disease progresses despite medical treatment and in those whose disease requires frequent hospitalization, continuing medical treatment is unwarranted and surgery must be the choice of therapy.