Post-pneumonectomy pulmonary edema

Abstract

The first successful pneumonectomy was performed as a two step procedure by Rudolf Nissen in 1930. Although lesser resections are now performed when possible, in certain cases of non-small cell lung cancer, pneumonectomy provides the only potentially curative option. However, it is a procedure associated with a high mortality (3.3-9.3 %) and morbidity (30.6-59 %) [1-5]. Post-pneumonectomy pulmonary edema is not an infrequent complication of pneumonectomy (incidence 4-7 %) [6] and one that is associated with a mortality of at least 50 % [7]. Post-pneumonectomy pulmonary edema is often called post-lung resection acute lung injury, firstly due to its pathophysiological and clinical similarities to acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and secondly because it occurs following lobectomy as well as pneumonectomy. This chapter outlines the diagnosis and prevalence of this condition and then discusses the potential etiological factors. © 2009 Springer-Verlag New York.