We retrospectively analyzed 191 patients who underwent wedge bronchoplastic lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection from 2001 to 2009.
There were 174 male patients with a mean age of 61.8 ¡À 8.2 years. The median follow-up duration was 28 months. Nine patients showed severe postoperative complications: bronchopleural fistulas (n?=?3), necrosis at the bronchoplasty site (n?=?1), or obstruction (n?=?5). The operative mortality rate was 3.7 % . Local and regional recurrences were reported in 17 and 12 patients, respectively. The 5-year overall survival was 62.8 % . The 5-year overall survival was 68.6 % in N0, 64.4 % in N1, and 52.6 % in N2 (P?=?.09). The 5-year overall freedoms from local recurrence and locoregional recurrence were 85.3 % and 78.9 % , respectively, which did not differ by nodal status. A multivariate analysis showed that positive N1 and N2 nodes were risk factors (P?=?.036 and P?=?.042, respectively) for overall survival after wedge bronchoplastic lobectomy.
Wedge bronchoplastic lobectomy for lung cancer is a safe and feasible procedure that does not compromise oncologic principles. It can be considered an appropriate alternative to sleeve lobectomy and pneumonectomy, regardless of nodal status.