[Clinical and physiological post-operative course of 45 bullous emphysema (author's transl)].

45 patients exhibiting a diffuse emphysema associated with voluminous emphysematous bullae underwent surgical resection of the bullae. They were then regularly followed-up. Pulmonary function investigations were performed preoperatively in 38 patients at 6 months, 1 year and 3-7 years after resection. Postoperative subjective improvement was experienced by all patients, but diminished progressively with years. An associated chronic bronchitis was a predictor of bad prognosis. Vital capacity increased whereas plethysmographic residual volume and TLC decreased post-operatively, due to the recovery of available pulmonary parenchyma. The improvement of bronchial obstruction was probably related to the increased elastic recoil pressure. Hypoxemia also improved in most cases. In patients having undergone a second resection (controlateral lung), functional improvement progressively disappeared as the emphysematous disease progressed.