Ipsilateral pulmonary infarction after major lung resection.

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Lung infarction is an uncommon complication following lung resection surgery.
• It can arise from technical errors or have an unidentifiable cause.
• Understanding its occurrence and outcomes is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence, clinical features, and outcomes of lung infarction after major lung resection.
• To identify potential causes and contributing factors for this rare complication.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records for patients undergoing reoperation for lung infarction post-major lung resection (2006-2015).
• Inclusion criteria: absence of apparent cause via imaging, intraoperative findings, and histopathology.
• Data collected included patient demographics, surgical history, presenting symptoms, reoperation details, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Seven patients were identified with a mean age of 62.2 years (5 males).
• Most cases involved extensive dissection or adverse surgical events.
• Hemoptysis was the primary symptom; all required further resection, with significant morbidity (atrial fibrillation, bronchopleural fistula) and one mortality.

Conclusions:

• Ipsilateral lung infarction post-lobectomy is a rare complication, often with an unidentifiable etiology.
• Reoperation is generally required for treatment.
• Extensive surgical manipulation or adverse intraoperative events may contribute to this rare complication.