Lung volume reduction surgery: results of a Canadian pilot study. Canadian Lung Volume Reduction Surgery Study Group.

OBJECTIVE

To present preliminary experience with lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) before the institution of the Canadian LVRS trial.

METHODS

A prospective case series between December 1995 and January 1997.

METHODS

University hospitals in London and Hamilton, Ont.

METHODS

Forty-nine patients who had disabling dyspnea or emphysema with hyperinflation, able to participate in respiratory rehabilitation. Twenty-three patients were excluded because of comorbid conditions precluding surgery, pulmonary hypertension, excessive steroid dependence, malnutrition, obesity, previous thoracotomy, large solitary bullae, concurrent malignant disease, chronic bronchitis, hypercapnia or psychiatric illness.

METHODS

Preoperative respiratory rehabilitation followed by LVRS via median sternotomy.

METHODS

Impairment, disability and handicap were assessed before and 12 months after LVRS. Impairment was assessed by changes in pulmonary function test results and blood gas measurements, disability by the 6-minute walk test and cardiopulmonary exercise test, and handicap by the disease-specific chronic respiratory disease questionnaire (CRQ), the generic medical outcomes survey short form 36 (SF-36) and the generic health utilities index mark III (HUI-III).

RESULTS

Two patients died of respiratory failure while in rehabilitation. Twenty-four patients (17 men, 7 women) successfully completed rehabilitation and underwent LVRS. The mean age was 63 years (range from 49 to 78 years) and the median length of hospital stay was 12.5 days (range from 7 to 90 days). Two patients (8%) died in the early postoperative period (within 30 days) of pneumonia. One patient died of respiratory failure 8 months after LVRS after a difficult 90-day postoperative hospital stay. There were 27 major complications. There was a 36% relative increase in the mean forced expiratory volume in the first second (p = 0.01) and a 10% relative increase in the 6-minute walk test (p = 0.06). The mean CRQ dyspnea score increased 2.3 points (p = 0.01), and the SF-36 general health domain increased 20 points (p = 0.01). There was no significant change in the HUI-III (p = 0.73).

CONCLUSIONS

LVRS appears to lessen the respiratory impairment and handicap for at least 1 year in selected patients with advanced emphysema.