Lung resection for recurrence after pneumonectomy for metastases

Resection of pulmonary recurrences after pneumonectomy for metastases is exceptional. Nevertheless, in carefully selected patients surgery on the residual lung might be successfully performed. From January 1987 to February 1996, 5 patients underwent metastasectomy on single lung after pneumonectomy performed for the same metastatic disease. There were 3 male and 2 female with a mean age of 38 years at the time of surgery on single lung. All patients had a FEV1 > 40%. One patient (no. 1) had 2 consecutive operations (wedge resections) on the right lower lobe followed 17 months later by right inferior lobectomy for metastases of soft tissue sarcoma. Three patients had only an operation on the residual lung (patient no. 2 had 2 wedge resections for carcinoma; patient no. 3 had 7 wedge resections for carcinoma; patient no. 4 had 6 wedge resections for osteogenic sarcoma). The last patient (no. 5) had 2 wedge resections on the right upper lobe and a large wedge resection on the right lower lobe for metastases of malignant corticosurrenaloma using a cardiopulmonary femoro-femoral by-pass without cardiac arrest. She postoperatively developed a right lower lobe venous infarction treated subsequently with a completion right lower lobectomy. She died in the postoperative course from cardiorespiratory insufficiency. The other patients had an uneventful postoperative course. Two patients (no. 2 and no. 4) died of their disease 14 and 12 months respectively after the surgery on the residual lung; by contrast 2 patients (40%) (no. 1 and no. 3) are still alive without recurrences 36 and 27 months after the last resection. In selected patients aggressive surgery for metastases on the residual lung can be successfully performed but the benefits in terms of long-term disease-free survival remain to be determined.