1994 Volume 8 Issue 5 Pages 585-589
Bronchiectasis was treated by pulmonary resection in a total of 25 patients from January 1979 through December 1991. Sixteen lobectomies, 2 bilobectomies, 6 pneumonectomies and one segmentectomy were performed. Following complete resection of the lesion, improvement was recorded in 100% of the patients (86% were asymptomatic). All patients with bilateral bronchiectasis in whom one ectatic subsegment remained showed postoperative improvement ; 86% of two ectatic subsegments remained improved symptoms, but all patients in whom three ectatic subsegments remained complained of symptoms. It is concluded that in patients whose disease progresses despite medical treatment and the ectatic lesion is local, surgical resection is indicated. For bilateral bronchiectasis, if the number of postoperative residual ectatic subsegments is one or two, surgical treatment is recommended.
