[Conservative surgical treatment of lung cancer: the "sleeve resection". Case contribution]

A series of 19 upper right lobectomies with resection and anastomosis of the principal bronchus carried out since 1975 at the 2nd Surgery Division, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital is described. An account is given of the carcinogenic risk, the endoscopic aspects, and the intraoperative picture in the various cases, and the long-term survivals, compatible with the time when the operation was performed. A brief description is also given of the technique employed, namely Sleeve Resection instead of the usual cuneiform approach. The reasons for this choice are explained. Lastly, from what is indicated it appears that right upper lobectomy with resection and anastomosis of the main bronchus is a very efficacious and very probably radical method in any cases where the neoplastic site should make right pneumonectomy necessary, but this is barred on the patient's functional status.