Advantages of lung surgery via medial sternotomy and use of extracorporeal circulation in very advanced lung tumors

: The authors present their initial experience with surgery of pulmonary affections in 32 patients where they used medial sternotomy as the route of approach. They provide evidence of the advantages of this approach, in particular in high-risk patients, and of the favourable effect of this approach on the postoperative course. Successful radical surgery under conditions of extracorporeal circulation, although a very advanced tumour was involved where posterolateral thoracotomy was unequivocally contraindicated, indicates that there is a possibility to extend indications of surgical therapy of otherwise inoperable pulmonary tumours.