Marvin Pomerantz

Anatomic Lung Resection for Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease

BACKGROUND Chronic lung infections involving nontuberculous mycobacteria are often inadequately treated owing to concomitant lung parenchymal damage, leading to persistence of the offending organisms. Little is known about the results of surgical therapy as part of a multimodality approach to these infections. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of 236 consecutive patients who underwent anatomic lung resection for nontuberculous mycobacteria disease at our institution as part of a multimodality treatment program. RESULTS In all, 236 patients underwent 265 operations. The average age was 54 years (range, 23 to 77). Fifty-three patients had prior thoracic procedures. All patients had in-vitro sensitivity testing of cultured organisms, and had several months of guided antibiotic therapy. Special emphasis was placed on nutritional status. Eighty percent of patients had Mycobacterium avium complex disease. Anatomic lung resection was performed in all patients, with 126 lobectomies, 55 segmentectomies, 44 pneumonectomies, and 40 mixed procedures. Sixty-seven patients had either muscle or omental transposition. Mortality rate was 2.6%. The major morbidity rate was 11.7%. Average length of stay was 6.5 days. Presence on postoperative bronchopleural fistula was associated with positive sputum at operation and right pneumonectomy, particularly right completion pneumonectomy. CONCLUSIONS This series represents the largest cohort of patients in the literature to date who underwent operation for nontuberculous mycobacteria infection. Surgery for nontuberculous mycobacteria disease may be accomplished with minimal morbidity and mortality. A multidisciplinary approach including targeted antimicrobial therapy and complete anatomic resection is the key to success.

Resection of the right middle lobe and lingula for mycobacterial infection

BACKGROUND In a series of 229 patients infected with mycobacterial organisms, we noted a specific female phenotype that involves isolated infections of the middle lobe and lingula. METHODS Thirteen patients were found to have infections of the middle lobe, lingula, or both. All of them were infected with Mycobacterium other then Mycobacterium tuberculosis, all were women, 12 of the 13 were slender, and most had variable combinations of skeletal abnormalities. All underwent resection of the middle lobe, lingula, or both. RESULTS There were no operative deaths. Only 2 patients have had reactivation requiring additional antibiotic therapy. All patients have had a decreased number of pulmonary infections in the postoperative period. Anatomic findings at operation included a complete major fissure and at least a partially complete minor fissure with middle lobe resections or an elongated lingula. CONCLUSIONS Mycobacterial infection of the middle lobe and lingula is primarily a disease of asthenic women and is often associated with skeletal abnormalities and complete fissures or an elongated lingula. We recommend that surgical intervention be performed early once the condition is identified.

Lady Windermere revisited: treatment with thoracoscopic lobectomy/segmentectomy for right middle lobe and lingular bronchiectasis associated with non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease §

OBJECTIVE Lady Windermere syndrome is a well-known but poorly understood female predominant phenotype of isolated right middle lobe and lingular bronchiectasis associated with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection. Despite lengthy multidrug antibiotic treatment, the presence of damaged parenchymal tissue leads to symptomatic disease recurrence, often with resistant organisms. The use of surgical resection as an adjunct to medical therapy may alter this cycle, although little is known about the use of thoracoscopic lung resection in this patient population. METHODS This is a retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of patients with pulmonary NTM disease from July 2004 to December 2009. All patients had focal bronchiectasis of the right middle lobe and lingula, treated with targeted antimicrobial therapy for several months prior to resection. RESULTS A total of 134 patients underwent 172 operations, with 38 patients having staged bilateral resections. The cohort was predominately female (96%) and Caucasian (95%), with a mean age of 59 years (range 34-81 years). Using a thoracoscopic approach in all patients, 102 middle lobectomies and 70 lingulectomies were performed. Conversion to open thoracotomy occurred in five cases (3%). Secondary procedures were performed in 20 cases (12%). There was no operative mortality. Postoperative morbidity was noted following 12 operations (7%), primarily consisting of prolonged air leak. The mean length of stay was 3.3 days (range 1-15 days). CONCLUSIONS Although medical therapy remains the primary treatment modality for patients with pulmonary NTM disease, the selective use of pulmonary resection may reduce the incidence of symptomatic disease recurrence. The addition of thoracoscopic resection to treatment regimens for patients with Lady Windermere syndrome can be accomplished with minimal morbidity and mortality.

SURGERY IN THE TREATMENT OF MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS

Resectional surgery is recommended for patients with localized multidrug-resistant tuberculosis if adequate pulmonary reserve is present. Appropriate drug specific therapy is employed for approximately 3 months preoperatively and for 18 to 24 months postoperatively. Nutrition is emphasized both pre- and postoperatively. Technically, the use of bronchoscopy, double lumen endotracheal tubes, and muscle or omental flaps is stressed. With the above, cure rates should be better than 90%.

Dysfunction of the beall mitral prosthesis and its detection by cinefluoroscopy and echocardiography

Abstract Cinefluoroscopy and ultrasound were used to evaluate disc-in-cage motion of a partially obstructed Beall mitral valve prosthesis. Cocking of the disc was easily observed on cinefluoroscopic study and echocardiograms showed normal motion of the disc with respect to the inferior strut but demonstrated that the disc did not open completely with respect to the superior strut. The restricted disc motion was produced by thrombus on the ventricular side of the disc. Contact between the superior edge of the disc and the adjacent myocardium seen at autopsy may have predisposed to thrombus formation at this site. A small amount of granulation tissue was also found on the sewing ring causing uneven seating of the disc. This condition was detected with use of ultrasound as a 1 mm difference in disc excursion between the superior and the inferior aspects of the valve.

Thoracoscopic Lobectomy and Segmentectomy for Infectious Lung Disease

BACKGROUND The potential benefits of thoracoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer have been well documented in the literature. However, little is known about the use of these techniques in patients requiring resection for infectious or inflammatory lung disease. METHODS Using a prospectively collected database, we performed a retrospective review of consecutive operations from July 2004 to June 2010. All patients who underwent elective thoracoscopic lobectomy or segmentectomy for focal bronchiectasis or cavitary lung disease associated with active pulmonary infection were included. RESULTS In all, 212 resections were performed in 171 patients. The average age was 59 years (range, 26 to 82 years). Patients were predominately white (93%) and female (93%). Indications for surgery included recurrent active infection, hemoptysis, or antibiotic intolerance associated with focal bronchiectasis (86%), cavitary disease (7%), or both (7%). Operations included 126 lobectomies, 73 segmentectomies, 10 lobe plus segmental resections, and 3 bilobectomies. Conversion to thoracotomy occurred in 10 patients. The operative mortality rate was zero. Complications occurred in 9%, consisting largely of prolonged air leak and atrial fibrillation. The mean hospital length of stay was 3.7 days. CONCLUSIONS Thoracoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy for individuals with infectious lung disease can be accomplished safely with minimal morbidity and mortality. These techniques may provide the optimal surgical approach for patients with focal bronchiectasis or cavitary lung disease requiring resection.

Native lung volume reduction surgery relieves functional graft compression after single-lung transplantation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

OBJECTIVE Single-lung transplantation is an accepted treatment for end-stage lung disease caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A complication unique to single-lung transplantation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is graft dysfunction due to compression caused by native lung hyperinflation. We hypothesized that patients with functional compromise from native lung hyperinflation would benefit from native lung volume reduction surgery. METHODS The charts of all patients undergoing single-lung transplantation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were reviewed for lung volume reduction surgery of their native lung. Data regarding length of stay, surgical morbidity and mortality, overall survival, type of lung volume reduction surgery, and pulmonary function were recorded to evaluate the effect of lung volume reduction surgery. RESULTS Between February 1992 and May 2007, 206 single-lung transplantations were performed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ten (5%) patients had clinically significant graft compression from native lung hyperinflation. After excluding other causes for functional decline, these patients underwent a modified lung volume reduction surgery between 12 and 142 months after single-lung transplantation (mean, 50 months). Lung volume reduction surgery consisted of anatomic resection. Two (20%) of 10 patients died during their hospitalization. Of the remaining 8 patients, 7 (87.5%) have demonstrated functional improvement on the basis of forced expiratory volume in 1 second improving from 12% to 200% (mean improvement, 57%). Within 6 months of lung volume reduction surgery, mean 6-minute walk values improved significantly (866 to 1055 feet), whereas desaturation with exertion decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS Lung volume reduction surgery by means of formal lobectomy in patients with native lung hyperinflation undergoing single-lung transplantation and significant graft compression appears feasible. Additionally, improvements in forced expiratory volume in 1 second can be accomplished in nearly all properly selected patients. Lung volume reduction surgery should be considered in patients with decreasing graft function caused by graft compression from native lung hyperinflation.

Current Indications for and Status of Decortication for “Trapped Lung”

Abstract Nineteen patients underwent decortication in a fifty-month period during which a total of 478 patients with traumatic hemopneumothorax and 98 patients with pneumonia plus effusion were seen. In all patients requiring decortication, an error in management had been made or a complication had developed which led to the need for decortication. From this study, we conclude that early, aggressive tube drainage for traumatic hemothorax or an effusion associated with pneumonia decreases the need for decortication and that decortication should be performed within the first month if there is marked restrictive lung disease or evidence of an infected pleural peel.

Infectious Lung Diseases

Infectious diseases considered in this section are: pneumonia and influenza, tuberculosis, and pertussis (whooping cough). In the United States, deaths from infectious diseases dropped considerably over the past century as a result of improved hygiene and sanitation practices and improved antibiotic therapy. We need to keep close watch on these diseases because they spread fast and large numbers of people can be affected. This attention is particularly important because of emerging antibiotic resistant strains.