[Minimally invasive surgery of large bullous pulmonary emphysema]

An enormous pulmonary cyst (phi approx. 20 cm) in a 72-year-old male patient with large bullous pulmonary emphysema caused compression of the right lung and the mediastinum with consecutive, O2-dependent dyspnoea at rest. The symptoms did not improve under conservative therapy of an accompanying COPD. Thus, in spite of two heart attacks in the previous history, an operation with bullectomy was indicated. A thoracotomy had to be avoided because of the very high cardiac risk. In the present case, a minimally invasive procedure enabled the complete cyst resection with a smooth postoperative course and an excellent functional therapeutic result.