Anesthetic management of patients undergoing unilateral video-assisted lung reduction for treatment of end-stage emphysema.

OBJECTIVES

Nonanatomic resection of peripheral areas of lung is being performed via sternotomy for the treatment of end-stage emphysema. Recent technologic advances have allowed the resection of lung tissue using video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) techniques. The study was performed to document the physiologic changes that occur during unilateral VATS lung reduction in hopes of determining appropriate monitoring and intraoperative management strategies.

DESIGN

Prospective trial of unilateral VATS lung reduction.

SETTING

Tertiary care university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty patients with end-stage emphysema.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants underwent unilateral VATS lung reduction.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Invasive hemodynamic monitoring was performed using radial and pulmonary artery catheters. Hemodynamic and respiratory gas exchange data were collected at four intraoperative points: (1) supine, two-lung ventilation; (2) lateral decubitus, two-lung ventilation; (3) lateral decubitus, one-lung ventilation, and (4) end of surgery, supine, two-lung ventilation. Data were compared with that collected at the first point. Patients tolerated lengthy surgical procedures and remained hemodynamically stable with no episodes of hypoxemia requiring treatment. Extubation was tolerated by 19 of 20 patients at the conclusion of surgery without further requirement of mechanical ventilation.

CONCLUSIONS

VATS lung reduction under general anesthesia with one-lung ventilation is well tolerated. Permissive hypercapnia was well tolerated by all patients. Early extubation can be routinely accomplished in these patients.