Pulmonary resection after pneumonectomy in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma.

Eight patients with a previous pneumonectomy for bronchogenic carcinoma underwent an additional resection because of a second primary carcinoma in the remaining lung. One patient died of pulmonary embolism in the postoperative period. The postoperative course was otherwise uneventful except for prolonged air leak. Two patients died after 3 months (bone metastasis) and 5 months (recurrent small-cell carcinoma). Two patients were alive at the time this article was written but had evidence of recurrence after 18 months (distant metastasis) and 21 months (local recurrence at the site of positive resection margins). Three patients were alive and doing well without evidence of disease after 16, 17, and 40 months. After careful selection, even patients with a previous pneumonectomy may be good candidates for additional resection of a second primary bronchogenic carcinoma.