Sublobar Pulmonary Resection in Children With Congenital Lung Abnormalities: A Systematic Review

Lobectomy is currently the advised resection for symptomatic congenital lung abnormalities (CLA). Sublobar surgery is suggested as an alternative that enables to conserve healthy lung parenchyma. This systematic review aims to explore the outcomes of sublobar surgery in CLA patients as well as the corresponding surgical terminology and techniques.

A systematic literature search was performed in adherence to PRISMA-P guidelines. The target population consists of children undergoing sublobar pulmonary resection for CLA. All studies were independently assessed by two reviewers, and evaluated by a third reviewer in case of disagreement.

The literature search yielded 901 studies of which 18 studies were included, comprising 1167 cases. The median chest tube insertion duration was 3.6 days (range 2.0-6.9 days), the median hospital admission was 4.9 days (range 2.0-14.5 days), and residual disease was diagnosed in 2% - leading to re-operation in 70%. The median incidence of postoperative complications was 15% (range 0-67%). Follow-up imaging was standard-of-care in 2/3 of studies. Due to the absence of standardised terminology, operative details and specification of resection type did not typically relate between studies.

Sublobar resection of CLA lesions could be a viable alternative to lobectomy in certain cases, with the advantage of conserving healthy lung parenchyma. Peri- and postoperative complications are comparable with those reported for conventional lobectomy. The incidence of residual disease following sublobar surgery appears to be lower than commonly stated. To improve comparability between studies, we recommend reporting perioperative characteristics in a structured format.

Level IV.