Pulmonary nodule resection during lung volume reduction surgery.

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and concomitant pulmonary nodule resection can improve the respiratory function of and remove malignant lesions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Previously, using standard selection criteria, some patients with emphysema who also had lung nodules were denied surgery because of the severity of their pulmonary dysfunction. In this article, the authors report improved pulmonary function in 11 patients with severe emphysema who underwent combined LVRS and nodule resection.