Lobectomy as Lung Volume Reduction Surgery in a Patient With Previous Contralateral Bilobectomy

Lung volume reduction surgery is a well-established treatment for pulmonary emphysema; however, lobectomy is performed infrequently in this indication. In a 48-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at stage Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage 3C, with previous lower bilobectomy due to severe poststenotic pneumonia and multiple ineffective endobronchial-valves placements, lower-lobe lobectomy as lung volume reduction surgery was performed through anterolateral thoracotomy. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second increased from 0.9l (31%) preoperative to 1.74l (59%) postoperatively. This case demonstrates that in well-selected patients, lobar resection for emphysema is feasible with good functional outcome even in patients after previous contralateral anatomic resection.