Clinical Outcomes of Thoracoscopic Bullectomy for Giant Bullous Lung Diseaset

Introduction: Giant bullous lung disease is a rare occurrence. Various surgical procedures have been used, although little is known about the clinical outcomes of thoracoscopic bullectomy. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 28 patients (24 males and 4 females) with giant bullous lung disease who underwent thoracoscopic bullectomy from January 2010 to December 2014. Mean age was 50.4 years (ranging from 18 to 85 years). Twenty patients were heavy smokers, 7 had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 5 had been treated for pulmonary tuberculosis. Dyspnea was the most common symptom. Results: Eleven patients (39.9%) had postoperative complications, including pneumonia in 7 (25%), persistent air leakage in 3 (10.7%), respiratory failure in 3 (10.7%), and bleeding in 1 patient (3.6%). Mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.1 days. Dyspnea improved in 18 patients (64.3%), and 6 patients with preoperative pulmonary function tests showed obvious improvement postoperatively. Mean follow-up was 18.4 months (ranging from 1 day to 59 months). Conclusion: Most patients had symptomatic relief after treatment. Previous pulmonary tuberculosis would increase treatment morbidity. Thoracoscopic bullectomy is a safe and advisable surgical procedure for giant bullous lung disease.