[Influence of thoracotomy and partial lung resection on pulmonary function: comparison with median sternotomy]

The influence of thoracotomy on respiratory function was examined in 49 patients: 22 with intercostal thoracotomy without lung resection (ICT), 11 with partial lung resection (PLR) and 16 with median sternotomy (MST). Respiratory function (FVC, FEV1.0 and FEV1.0%) was measured preoperatively, in the early stage (14 days) and in the stable stage (after 3 months) postoperatively. In each group, the FVC and FEV1.0 were decreased to 70-80% of preoperative respiratory function in the early stage and rose to 90-95% in the stable stage. There were no significant differences among the groups. FEV1.0% did not vary in the different stages in any of the three groups. The ICT group was classified according to the type of skin incision (axillary incision (AI), anterolateral incision (ALI) and posterolateral incision (PLI)). FVC and FEV1.0 in the ALI subgroup were higher (p < 0.05) than in the PLI subgroup in the early stage. These results suggest that the selection of the skin incision is important for preserving respiratory function.