Pulmonary lobectomy in the management of pneumonia in five cats

Five cats underwent lobectomy for the management of pneumonia. The mean presurgical duration of treatment was eight months. A potentially immunosuppressive disease process was present preoperatively in two of the five cats. Preoperatively, two of the cats had radiographically diffuse pneumonia, while three had focal pneumonia. A single pulmonary lobe was removed in four cats, with one cat having two pulmonary lobes removed. There were no life-threatening complications and no clinical recurrence noted during a mean follow-up period of 37.8 months. The benefit of pulmonary lobectomy in focal pneumonia may lie in removing the nidus of infection. In diffuse, chronic or medically refractory pneumonia, obtaining an aetiological diagnosis may be the main benefit of lobectomy. Selective lobectomy for the treatment of pneumonia may be beneficial but a thorough preoperative evaluation is warranted.