Indications for the surgical treatment in bronchiectasis and postoperative results

: During Jan. 1990 and Dec. 2002 a total of 14 patients with bronchiectasis were operated on. They were 5 female and 9 male with mean age of 35.7 years. In two of them (14.3%) the disease was with bilateral localization. Patients were typically presented with cough and purulent sputum production 12(85.7%), recurrent pulmonary infections 8(57.1%), halitosis 6(42.9%) and hemoptysis 4(28.6%). The mean duration of clinical manifestations was 8.4 years. The indications for surgery were failure of medical treatment in 10(71.4%) patients, hemoptysis in 2(14.3%) and lung abscesus, as a complication in 2(14.3%) patients. The operative methods included 9(64.3%) lobectomies, 1(7.1%) pleuropneumonectomy, 1(7.1%) pneumonectomy, 1(7.1%) bilobectomy with broncho-esophageal fistula resection, 1(7.1%) middle lobectomy with polysegmental resection S7-10 and 1(7.1%) polysegmental resection S7-10. No 30-day postoperative death was faced. Major complications, followed by rethoracotomy, were found in 2(14.3%) of the cases. The postoperative results were excellent in 8(57.1%) of the patient, very good in 5(35.75) of them and in only 1 patient there was no clinical improvement. In conclusion, surgery for bronchiectasis is followed by acceptable postoperative complications and better long-term result after radical operation.