We prospectively studied the surgical aspects, functional results, and complications of video-assisted bilateral thoracoscopic volume reduction surgery in patients with severe diffuse pulmonary emphysema.
Methods: Fifteen men and five women with a mean age of 64 years (range 42 to 78 years) whose daily activity was substantially impaired by severe airflow obstruction and hyperinflation underwent thoracoscopic volume reduction surgery. The prospective preoperative assessment and postoperative assessment at 3 months included (1) pulmonary function studies, (2) grading of dyspnea, and (3) exercise performance; pulmonary function tests were also performed immediately before discharge from the hospital.
Results: There was no perioperative mortality. All patients left the hospital after a median stay of 15 days (6 to 27 days). Only seven patients had a prolonged chest tube drainage time (>7 days). At 3 months the mean (+/- standard deviation) forced expiratory volume in 1 second had improved by 42% (+/-3.8%), from 0.80 L (+/-0.23) to 1.09 L (+/-0.28) (p < 0.001); residual volume had decreased from 5.8 L (+/-1.5) to 4.4 L (+/-1.0) (p < 0.001). Shortly before discharge the forced expiratory volume in 1 second was already 1.10 L (+/-0.26). The median 12-minute walking distance increased from 495 m (35 to 790 m) to 688 m (175 to 1035 m) (p < 0.001) and the mean maximal oxygen consumption from 10 ml/kg per minute (+/-2.5) to 13 ml/kg per minute (+/-2.3) (p < 0.0005). The patients reported a substantial relief of dyspnea with a mean decrease in the Medical Research Council score from 3.4 to 1.8.