Surgical Results of Completion Pneumonectomy

Purpose: We report our experience with completion pneumonectomy (CP). Methods: We report on operative procedure and morbidity, mortality, and survival rates. Results: CP was performed for malignancy in 12 patients and postoperative complications after the first operation in 4 patients. Intrapericardial dissection of vessels was performed in 14 patients (87.5%). Partial vertebrectomy from the second to the fifth vertebrae was performed in 1 patient. Carinal resection was performed in 2 patients. Morbidity including bronchopleural fistula, pulmonary insufficiency, pyothorax, and pulmonary infarction developed in 6 of the 16 patients (37.5%). Mortality rate was 18.8%. The actuarial 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival after CP for all malignancy was 80.8%, 49.0%, and 49.0% respectively. Conclusions: The morbidity and mortality rates are high in CP. Combined resection, especially carinal resection, appears to be contraindicated in CP. CP is one of the treatments of choice, even for malignancy, if complete resection is possible because of the good long-term survival.