Pulmonary resection in patients with impaired pulmonary function

Preoperative estimation of pulmonary extravascular thermal volume in patients undergoing pneumonectomy

Pulmonary extravascular thermal volume (PETV) was measured during pulmonary artery occlusion in 18 patients preoperatively and 7 patients postoperatively who were undergoing pneumonectomy. We found that the PETV decreased from 6.6±2.3 ml·kg^-1 before occlusion to 4.1±1.6 ml·kg^-1 during occlusion. There was a significant correlation between the PETVs before and during occlusion multiplied by the fraction of pulmonary perfusion (r=0.77,P<0.001). Although the PETV increased in two patients and decreased in four within 48 h after pneumonectomy, it returned to the value during occlusion at 3 weeks after pneumonectomy in seven patients. There was a significant correlation between the PETV during occlusion and that at 3 weeks after pneumonectomy (r=0.66,P<0.05). In conclusion, PETV during pulmonary artery occlusion is a reliable baseline value in the assessment of postoperative pneumonectomy values.