Abstract
Surgical procedures designed to improve pulmonary function and quality of life of patients with advanced emphysema have been attempted for more than a century. Of the many attempted procedures, only giant bullectomy, lung transplantation, and lung-volume-reduction surgery have withstood the test of time and are currently being practiced. This article reviews each of these procedures and also develops a rational approach to selecting appropriate candidates for these 3 interventions.
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Joshua O Benditt MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Box 356522, Seattle WA 98195–06522. E-mail: benditt{at}u.washington.edu.
- Copyright © 2006 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
