Original articleGeneral thoracicRisk of a Right Pneumonectomy: Role of Bronchopleural Fistula
Section snippets
Material and Methods
A retrospective analysis was conducted of 187 patients who underwent pneumonectomy between 1990 and 2000 in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, and Mount Sinai Hospital. One hundred eighty patients underwent operation for primary carcinoma of the lung, 5 for metastatic disease, 1 for aspergilloma, and 1 for tuberculous disease. Patients having extrapleural pneumonectomy for mesothelioma or carinal or completion pneumonectomy were excluded
Results
There were 187 patients; 68% (128) were male. The mean age was 67.1 ± 11.5 years (range, 19 to 92 years). Right pneumonectomy (R) was performed in 68 (36%) and left pneumonectomy (L), in 119 (64%). The indication for surgery was primary bronchogenic carcinoma in 180 patients (including carcinoid tumors), metastatic cancer in 5, and septic lung disease in 2 (one each for aspergilloma and tuberculosis). Squamous cell cancer was the most common primary lung cancer histologic assessment, occurring
Comment
The mortality of pulmonary resection has diminished during the years, with current mortality rates for pneumonectomy reported in the range of 5% to 12% 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. However, there are little data in the literature regarding the risk of a right versus left pneumonectomy. Wahi and associates [6], in a series of 197 patients, were the first to report that a right pneumonectomy was associated with a higher mortality (12%) than left (1%), with an overall mortality of 7%. Au and
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*Dr Ginsberg died on March 1, 2003.